Sweet and Sexy Mistakes
by LoveEpicLove
Summary: An expert on the dynamics between men and women, Damon Salvatore knows his uptight new publicist could use his help getting a date. The only problem is, the more time he spends with her, the more he realizes he doesn't want her dating anyone but him!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is another generic romance from me. I'm experimenting a little more with my plot in this story. Still just straight romance with plenty of Delena moments. I hope you like it.

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**Dark and Dangerous Desires  
**

**Chapter 1**

"Elena, the boss wants to see you."

Elena looked up to see her assistant standing in her office doorway. Caroline was wearing a large grin on her pretty face.

"Thanks Caroline."

"This has got to be it, your big break. You'd better not forget about me when you move up to corporate."

She smiled at her assistant. "How could I forget you, Caroline?"

Caroline worked for her, but she'd almost become like a sister to her over the past year that Caroline had worked for the company.

"I'm just saying, that's all. Good luck."

This was it, the big day, she'd absolutely nailed the Lockwood account and now she was about to reap the sweet rewards of that success. She'd worked so hard for this promotion. Moving up to corporate by thirty had been her goal, and she was about to achieve it years earlier than she'd dreamed. She took a deep breath and took out her compact, taking a moment to reapply her lipstick and make sure she looked the part of a junior partner. She was a public relations expert and knew exactly how important the packaging was, how important it was to sell oneself.

As she rode the elevator up to the top floor, she reminded herself that she deserved this. She'd done the hard yards, she's worked her way up, and the Lockwood account had clinched it for her. Her other colleagues had been unable to deal with Tyler Lockwood the football star, but Elena had taken him on and had him eating out of her hand. He was now one of her favorite clients. Yes, she loved a challenge. If anything Tyler was almost too easy. When she won her promotion she would be given one of the firm's high profile cases. She relished the thought.

She walked with confidence out of the elevator and even mustered a smile for Prue, the cranky secretary guarding the corporate offices. Prue didn't return her smile, but Elena was too happy to care.

"He's been waiting for you," Prue told her testily. Normally Elena would have made a face behind the other woman's back, but nothing was going to bring her down today.

She knocked gently on Elijah's door before walking in. Elijah smiled when he saw her.

"Elena, come in, have a seat."

She did as she was told, barely managing to contain the excitement building in her. She'd wanted this for so long. She wished she had champagne chilling in her fridge at home. Not that she had anyone to share it with. There was no time for a relationship when her days were taken up with whipping up the media and nursing her clients.

"Elena, you know we're very happy with the way you handled Tyler Lockwood?'

She smiled and nodded. Here it came.

"We know you like a challenge, and recently the firm has acquired a more difficult client."

That had not been what she'd expected him to say. Disappointment swept through her. She'd been so sure that after she'd managed Tyler so well that she would be promoted. Elijah was still smiling at her, and Elena managed to keep her smile in place, even if it may have been a little dimmer than what it was.

"We were going to hand this one straight to Katherine, but seeing how well you handled Tyler we thought you might want the challenge instead."

Katherine Pierce was a junior partner who was known as a barracuda around here. Two years older than Elena she'd been the only employee to ever be offered position as partner at the firm. Her reputation preceded her. Katherine was simply the best, and if Elena didn't hate her so much she would probably admire the heck out of her. Katherine, however, had made it clear from the first moments Elena had joined the company that she was a threat and Katherine had treated her as pond scum ever since. A chance to handle a client who would normally be given to Katherine was a huge deal. She knew though that if the client was to be assigned to Katherine that they would be tricky, high maintenance and high profile. It was the opportunity to show them she deserved a promotion.

"Of course, I'd love the opportunity to show you exactly what I'm capable of."

"That's what the firm likes about you Elena. Your attitude is exceptional and your willingness to tackle any assignment is something we're all very aware of. I don't think it's any secret you're being considered for promotion. If you do well with this client, you have my word that you'll have it."

There she had it, Elijah's word that she'd be promoted if she did well with this client. Elijah's word was as good as golden. He'd keep his word; all she had to do was not screw it up. Suddenly brimming with confidence again she was excited to find out who this new client was.

"Who's the client?"

It was then that Elijah stopped smiling and began to look quite serious.

"Damon Salvatore."

Elena's blood pressure and temperature spiked at the name.

"As in _the_ Damon Salvatore. As in the man who wrote the book, _Why You Should Sleep with the Bad Boy,_ and followed it up with _Why Pleasing Your Man In Bed should Be Your Top Priority_"

Oh-no. Oh-no-no-no. That was one client she did not want. The man needed a full time handler, not a publicist.

"That's the one." Elijah smiled.

Katherine was welcome to him. He was trouble with a capital T. No-one was able to get him to toe the line. He was known as a womanizing alcoholic, who had little respect for the law. Around the office he was simply known as a PR nightmare. His books were filled with smut and chauvinism. She'd never met him and she didn't want to. The guy obviously believed he was God's gift to women and considered himself some kind of Casanova. She'd seen an interview with him once, and turned it off after she'd seen the way he'd had the interviewer falling all over him. Yes, he was ridiculously handsome, but people should still act professionally around him, damn it.

The fact that his latest book was a number one best seller was an embarrassment to all. She knew women who had bought the book simply for the picture on the back. Caroline had been one of them. And yes she could admit it was a good picture, but that was no reason to buy a book! Considering how much he was reputed to drink she was surprised he could even put two sentences together on paper, let alone write a whole book.

"I thought he was with Wylder and Son's PR."

"He was, but recently he's decided to change companies, and we're only too grateful to take him on as a client. He's working on another book that's sure to make the bestsellers list again, and he's being headhunted to do a radio show. He's big business, and we welcome the opportunity to make money here."

She wondered what on earth the next book would be about.

"Of course," Elena said.

She didn't want this; she really didn't want this, but if she told Elijah that Katherine could have him, her promotion would go out the window. She wanted that promotion; she deserved it, and she would take it. No-one would get in her way, not even Damon Salvatore. Besides, she was up for a challenge, wasn't she?

"When do I meet him?" she asked.

"He's here, actually, in the boardroom downstairs. He told me he can't wait to meet you."

Oh, she was sure. If he believed she would be another woman to just fall over him he had another thing coming.

"I'd better not keep him waiting then," she said. The smile in place for was for Elijah's benefit only.

"Before you go, Elena, there's one more thing."

"Yes."

"Damon is going on book tour in a month or so, as his rep you'll be going with him."

Could this get any worse?

"How long for?" she asked as pleasantly as she could manage.

"Four weeks."

"Great," she said, injecting enthusiasm into her voice that she didn't feel.

She turned towards the door, closing her eyes for a quick moment. This was happening and she would handle it. She could handle it. After all, how hard could it be?

"Good luck, Elena," she heard Elijah say behind her. "You'll need it with this one." She heard him chuckle softly as she closed the door behind her. She had her work cut out for her that was for sure, but she hadn't had a good challenge in a while. She believed that's exactly what Damon Salvatore would be.

When she walked into the boardroom she found it empty. She supposed it was just too difficult a task for the man to stay put. Losing her client already was not the start she wanted to make. She scoured the floor for her him but he clearly wasn't present. She took the elevator down to her floor to search that one.

She could hear Caroline's voice from a mile away. "I love your books so much." Her assistant was gushing, and Elena suspected she had just found her new client.

"I'll just bet you do." Elena heard the smug reply. His voice was like silk, Elena thought.

She heard Caroline giggle. Elena rolled her eyes, before she put a smile on her face. No matter what she thought about her new client, her job demanded that she be courteous and respectful.

She thought she had brilliantly mastered a confident facade but it slipped completely when she laid eyes on him for the first time. To see him on TV was one thing; to be faced with him in the flesh was quite another. Just one look at him reminded her exactly how long it had been since she'd…indulged. Black boots, black jeans, black leather jacket, her body was already screaming that it wanted that. How ridiculous, Elena thought; she was not interested in Damon Salvatore as anything except the key to her big promotion.

He turned his head toward her and her steps faltered slightly as his blue eyes locked with hers. Her stomach dropped down to her toes. He had a penetrating stare that threatened to guess all her secrets. Seconds went by before her training kicked in, and she had her smile back in place. This was her job, she knew exactly what she was doing, and this was a first meeting just like any other first meeting, she told herself.

She expected him to smell like a brewery. He didn't. He smelt wonderfully male with a dash of light aftershave and it made butterflies dance in her stomach.

"You must be Elena," he said to her.

Elena extended her hand and gave him her customary welcome smile, relieved to have a ritual to follow.

"Elena Gilbert," she said as they shook hands. She didn't deliberate on the fact that his touch made her skin tingle or send heat through her.

"Damon Salvatore."

"I know."

"You have an excellent assistant, Elena. She's been singing your praises for the past ten minutes."

He'd been talking to Caroline for ten minutes. What had her assistant told him? She shot Caroline a look, but her excellent assistant hadn't taken her eyes off Damon since Elena found the two of them.

"Shall we go back to the boardroom?" Elena asked her new client.

"No need, your office is right here isn't it?" He looked at Caroline for confirmation, who nodded. All Elena could think was that the space was too small for this particular meeting. She preferred to conduct her meetings in the boardroom; it was more professional and far less intimate.

"Thank you Caroline," Damon said with a charming smile, "you've been most helpful."

Caroline blushed and smiled.

Resigned to taking the meeting in her office, Elena led the way. Once they entered the office she sat at her desk and waited for him to join her. He took his time, however, more interested in looking around her office than talking. He took in the diplomas hanging on the wall, the photos on her desk, and when he was done he picked up the Rubik's cube on her desk, plonked himself down in the seat opposite her and put his feet up on her desk.

She could see exactly how their relationship would go if she wasn't careful. He was the type of man who would try and control this meeting and dominate their interactions if she didn't establish herself now. While he was the client, she had no desire to come off as mild or ineffective. It was her job to keep the media interested in him and to clean up his messes; he had to have confidence that she could do that.

"So," she started, "I'm sure Elijah has given you the welcome to Mystic Falls PR speech."

"He has," Damon told her, "and you came highly recommended, despite the fact that I asked for another publicist."

"Oh." She was suddenly getting the distinct impression that he was not happy at all that she was his publicist. She tried not to feel put out by the thought. If he'd wanted another publicist why hadn't Elijah complied? Normally if a publicist was requested there was no problem. Perhaps he'd requested someone new to the firm.

"Who did you request?" she asked him.

"Katherine Pierce," he said simply.

"Oh," she said again.

"Do you know her?" he asked now.

"Yes," Elena told him. The woman had made her life a living hell for the past three years, so yes, she knew Katherine. If he'd asked for Katherine she didn't understand why the request hadn't been granted. Katherine was after all far more qualified to handle Damon Salvatore than she was. There must have been a reason. As if Damon guessed her train of thought, he elaborated.

"Katherine and I have a history," he told her. "We were…involved. Elijah felt it was better that I have another publicist."

He was Katherine's ex-boyfriend. This was just getting better and better. The last thing she wanted was Katherine breathing down her neck on this one. Should she speak to Elijah and try and change this? No, she'd been given Damon as a client for a reason, and now she just had to prove herself. She visualized the corner office she would have once she was promoted.

"Company policy tends to frown upon us dating clients," she told him briefly.

"Well now, that's just too bad," he said with a frown.

She stood up and came around to stand in front of her desk. She gently but firmly moved Damon's feet off her desk and leaned against her desk. She hoped that standing may somehow give her an advantage, and perhaps raise his confidence in her abilities.

"I assure you that I am qualified for this job and I promise you will be happy with my services."

Damon studied the woman in front of him. Well, damn if she wasn't taking it personal. It wasn't personal, not against her anyway. It was Katherine he was here for; it was Katherine he wanted revenge against. His plan; seduce her, make her fall in love with him and then break her heart the way she'd broken his. Elena didn't need to know that though. He put the Rubik's cube back on the desk.

"You see here's the thing, Elena. If you're going to be my publicist, shouldn't you at least be familiar with the product you're selling?"

Elena was thrown by the question; he could tell by the way she fidgeted slightly.

"It's my job to sell you as a package, and I have no doubt that I can do that."

She'd very neatly avoided his question.

"Have you read any of my work?" he asked her now, leaning back in the chair and putting his hands behind his head. He noted the way her cheeks flamed ever so slightly at the question. She probably thought what he wrote was disgusting. The thought amused him. She seemed a little innocent compared to most of the women he knew but he found it a refreshing change.

He was cynical, he knew it, and he didn't particularly care. Elena on the other hand still had her rose colored glasses on. He wasn't going to rip them away from her. It was better that girls like her stayed away from men like him. He'd corrupt her. The thought actually sent a hot wave of lust though him, as he thought about all the things he could do to her, all the positions he could teach her. He shifted in his seat now, not wanting to let his thoughts wander any further down that path, or this first meeting might end up uncomfortable for both of them.

"I haven't read your work, no, but…"

"Well, do you intend to?"

"I…I,"

"Does my work offend you?" he asked her.

"No," she said quickly; far too quickly. "I'm not familiar with it, but I intend to familiarize myself with it."

He found himself wondering what exactly she would think of his work once she'd read it. She'd probably learn a few things about men. He wondered how much experience she had with the opposite sex. She looked so neat and perfect now, not a hair out of place, that he wondered what she would look like when she was loved well. He could picture her underneath him, her hair fanned out upon his pillow, her cheeks flushed, her lips swollen from his kisses and again had to pull his thoughts back to the meeting at hand. This time it was too late, she's seen the way he'd looked at her and he was sure she probably didn't even know she was running her tongue along her bottom lip in a way that made his body react immediately. She was a little too tempting to a man like him.

"Listen, Elena, I'm sure you're very good at your job, but I was thinking maybe you could convince Elijah that Katherine would be the better choice to represent me."

He had no idea what he was asking her to do, Elena thought. If Elijah hadn't said yes to Damon he certainly wouldn't say yes to her. Plus she would look incompetent if she asked that Katherine take over.

"How do you even know Katherine would want this job?"

"We've spoken."

It seemed that nothing about her new client was going her way. Desperate now she stalled for time.

"How about this; you give me a month to prove myself, and if you're still not happy with me as your rep, I'll try and convince the boss that Katherine is the better option."

He studied her, obviously thinking over her proposal. He still didn't look convinced, so she added one final thought. It was crossing the line a little, but she had to try. "Plus, if you have intentions of dating Katherine again, it would be better if I was your rep because of the company policy I explained earlier."

"Are they strict about that?"

"Yes."

Damon didn't bother to tell her he had no regard for rules or regulations. The only rules he played by were his own. His new rep, however, had her own ideas on how he should deal with the situation. He supposed it made sense for now, that he keep Elena as his rep and just pursue Katherine on the side. He hoped he would be able to get past the fact that he was sexually attracted to Elena. An attraction like that could get in the way of his plan, and he didn't want to be distracted right now.

"Well then, I guess you'll have to do."

It wasn't the vote of confidence Elena would have liked but it was a start, and it was better than a no.

"And you will read my work?" he asked her now.

It seemed she would have no choice on this one. "Yes," she said firmly.

"Okay," he said. "A month it is then." He gave her a tight smile.

While she was relieved he would give her the time, it wasn't a very good start to their working relationship. She required co-operation and support from her clients and if he didn't want her to represent him in the first place, he could make things very difficult for her. She pressed on regardless.

"Great," she said, "now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk business."

They ran over his schedule for some upcoming interviews he had on radio and TV. By the time he was getting up to leave, she knew she wanted coffee and aspirin, not necessarily in that order.

"I look forward to working with you," she said to him as they shook hands once more.

"I look forward to seeing what you can do for me, Elena" he told her, his eyes locking with hers.

Heat swept through her at his suggestive words. Electricity crackled between them. She pulled her hand away from his promptly.

"I'll be in touch," she told him.

He nodded before exiting her office.

Once he'd gone, she slumped back in her seat and kicked off her heels, rubbing her temples with her fingers to get some relief from the splitting headache that had started sometime over the past hour.

Damon Salvatore was different than she'd expected. She'd expected some sexually depraved and arrogant jack-ass. He wasn't. In the interview she'd seen on television he'd been sarcastic, witty and charming. In person, however, he felt serious and intense. Obviously he could switch on the charm as he needed to. She would have to watch that. She was attracted to him, had even been aroused by the way he had looked at her several times during their meeting. But there would be no mixing business with pleasure. He was her client, he was Katherine's ex-lover, and she couldn't let herself lose sight of the fact that if she made a mess of this she could kiss her promotion goodbye.

Minutes later the phone rang. "What is it Caroline?" Elena asked, seeing the light next to her assistant's name light up.

"Elena," Caroline whispered, "we have a code red."

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A/N: Last part of Locked in a Loveless Marriage up Sunday/Monday. Thanks for reading and please review.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Apologies for any confusion, but I have changed this name of this story. I struggled coming up with a name at the beginning and in hindsight I really can see that Dark and Dangerous Desires wasn't the right name. I wouldn't have changed it at all, but I was afraid that some people would expect something different than what was being offered. I really do hate to disappoint my readers. With that said and out of the way, I beg for your forgiveness and hope you like the story with the new title: Sweet and Sexy Mistakes.

Diving straight into a code red here.

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**Chapter 2**

"Stall her, Caroline" Elena told her assistant desperately. She hung up the phone while fumbling under the desk for the heels that she'd kicked off somewhere under there. Finally, after patting the ground she put her hand on one of her red pumps.

When Katherine walked into her office one minute later, Elena had her shoes back on and was typing something at the computer. Elena steeled herself for a showdown. The woman had it in for her and the fact that she'd just landed Damon Salvatore as a client had put a great big target on her back and made her public enemy number one. As if Katherine needed any extra ammunition to go after her.

"Katherine, what a surprise." Not a pleasant one, she said silently. "What can I do for you?"

Katherine stalked across the office floor, put her hands on the desk and glared at her.

"Damon Salvatore was supposed to be _my_ client. He changed PR companies because he wanted _me_ to rep for him. You can imagine my surprise when Elijah told me today that _you_ would be representing him instead."

"You were surprised? You and Damon have a history and you know what the company policy is on dating clients, Katherine."

While Elena had managed to speak calmly, inside her adrenaline was pumping and her heart was pounding hard. She hated going toe to toe with Katherine, it was always unpleasant. For a moment neither of them said anything, they simply glared at each other, then Katherine smiled. It was a nasty smile that made Elena feel afraid.

"You think you can rep for Damon, fine. Watch your back."

With that threat hanging in the air between them, Katherine inclined her head to the side and gave her an even nastier smile before she turned on her heel and left. Elena sat for a minute before she reached for her purse and pulled out her headache tablets. She always needed them after seeing Katherine.

It was only Monday, but already she felt like she needed a weekend. She had a new client; a very important client, who needed convincing she was good at her job. With only one month to impress him she was going to have to pull off something pretty spectacular. She could do it. Her headache started to ease after thirty minutes or so, and she got to work. Caroline interrupted her at five-thirty.

"Elena, Elijah sent these down for you."

Caroline put two books on her desk. Elena didn't have to look at them to know which books they would be.

"Thanks Caroline."

"You know, if you wanted to read these, you could have borrowed my copies," Caroline giggled.

Elena rolled her eyes at her. "I wouldn't normally read these, but my client wrote them and I need to know what's in them."

She wouldn't have read them if Damon wasn't her client. She may not have read them if he hadn't insisted she 'familiarize' herself with his work.

"Are you leaving now?" Elena asked her assistant.

"Yeah, I've got yoga tonight. You should join me. It's really relaxing, and Todd the yoga guy is _so_ hot."

Elena wondered how deliberately twisting herself up in knots and strange positions could help her relax, but she chose not to say anything.

"Sorry, Caroline, I have some stuff to finish up. I'll probably be here for at least another couple of hours."

"Suit yourself," Caroline told her. "But you're missing out on some real eye candy. Don't forget to eat dinner, okay?"

Elena smiled at her. "Yes Mom."

With that Caroline left the office. Elena didn't leave until well after eight. It had been a long day but a productive one, she thought as she walked into her apartment. She put her purse down on the kitchen bench top and popped a frozen meal in the microwave. It wasn't exactly the most nutritious of food, but at least it wasn't junk food. By the end of the day she just didn't have the energy to cook, and she couldn't help thinking that cooking for one wasn't much fun either.

She was just about to start eating when the phone rang.

"Hi Bonnie," Elena said when she picked up the phone.

"How did you know it was me?"

"You call every Monday night."

"You know it's considered rude to answer the phone and say the person's name before they've told you who it is, right?"

Elena sighed, "It's been a long day so you'll have to get over it."

"I've been calling since seven. Do not tell me you've been working till now."

"I have a new client, so yes I've put in a few extra hours today."

Elena sat down with the cordless phone on her couch and started to pick at her meal.

"And do not tell me you're eating another one of those frozen meals when you could be over here eating homemade lasagna."

"You know you're really getting bossy in your old age, Bonnie. I don't know how Jeremy puts up with you."

"Sorry," Bonnie said, "I've been irritable and cranky the last few days and I had a lousy day at the office."

Bonnie worked as a lawyer at a firm in town.

"Well, I had a lousy day too," she told her sister-in-law.

"I'm sorry, Elena, it's just that Jeremy, and me too for that matter, we're both worried about you."

"Well don't be, and tell Jeremy not to worry either, I'm fine. Work is going really well. In fact this new client is going to win me a promotion."

"There's more to life than work, Elena. All you seem to do is spend everyday in that office."

"That's not true. I go with you and Caroline to Ric's on Fridays."

Ric's Bar and Grill was across the street from the office, and the three girls made it a Friday ritual to meet there at the end of the week to debrief.

"I know, but…aren't you lonely?"

Elena looked around her empty apartment. Well, not completely empty.

"I have Mr Blobby."

"An overweight cat is not what I'm talking about and you know it."

Of course it would be nice to have someone to spend time with. It would be nice to have someone to share her life with; her successes with. It would be nice to come home to someone who asked her about her day. When she spent time with Bonnie and Jeremy it was easy to see she was missing out on something. They had their shared jokes and their knowing looks. They had a whole other language that belonged to just them. She would be lying if she said that she wouldn't mind sharing that kind of intimacy with someone. She chose to work though, and with the time and commitment she was putting into her career right now, meeting someone was unlikely.

"I have Ian."

"Your vibrator doesn't count either. When was the last time you went on a date?"

"I don't know…whenever I went out with Toby."

"That was eight months ago, Elena."

Elena could hear the exasperation in her friend's voice.

"Look, Bonn, I know I'm not exactly putting myself out there now; but I am happy, okay? So please stop worrying about me."

"I know you keep saying that, but ever since Matt broke off the engagement, you just…I don't know, it's like you've just given up on ever having a relationship."

Elena sighed. She hated when Bonnie brought up Matt. She'd dated Matt at college for two years and he had proposed to her on their two year anniversary. One year later, he told her it just wasn't working. She'd read between the lines. Their sex life had been lousy. It had been boring. By the time things had ended between them, it had been weeks since they'd even had sex. That was no way to go into a marriage. What was worse is that Matt had implied she was boring in bed; he'd told her straight out that she lacked imagination.

"Are you there?" asked Bonnie.

"I'm here, but I think I'm going to have to go; I'm really tired."

It was Bonnie's turn to sigh. "Okay. I'll see you Friday, right?"

"Sure," Elena said.

She hung up the phone and threw her meal in the bin. She wasn't hungry anymore. Yes it would be nice to have someone, but she was fine just on her own; just her and Mr Blobby.

"You love me, don't you Mr Blobby?" she asked as stroked her cat's chin.

It was when she was clearing her purse off the kitchen bench that she remembered the books were in there. She pulled them out now and studied them. Looks like she'd found her reading material for the night. Once she was tucked up in bed, Mr Blobby jumped onto the bed and curled up next to her legs. She picked up Damon's latest book, _Why Pleasing Your Man in Bed Should Be Your First Priority_. She couldn't help but think that yes a good sex life was important, but just how much of that should be the woman's responsibility? Shouldn't the man want to please his woman in bed? Matt certainly hadn't cared very much about her satisfaction.

She turned the book over in her hands and looked at the picture on the back cover. With hair that was just a little bit too long and a light smattering of stubble on his jaw, he was about the sexiest thing she'd ever laid eyes on. That face, those eyes, those lips; she was warm enough now to throw the covers off her; and to think that in the flesh he was even more incredible. She put the book down, deciding she'd start it tomorrow. As she turned off the light and closed her eyes she tried not to think about the dark haired author with piercing blue eyes.

* * *

On Friday afternoon, Damon walked up the pathway to the red brick home and hoped that the flowers in his hand were enough to get him out of trouble. He rapped on the door lightly, before opening the door.

"Mom," he called.

"Damon?" His Mom came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron and embraced him in a warm hug. Then she pulled away and he handed her the flowers. She gave him a disapproving look. "Three weeks and you don't call, you don't visit. I see Stefan every other day. Where have you been?"

"How is Stefan?" he asked, avoiding the question.

"Come," she told him, "I have pie. It's your favorite. I must have known you were coming."

Damon smiled at her indulgently. "Of course you did."

"Don't you mock me, Damon Salvatore, we mothers know these things, especially when it comes to our sons. What I want to know is when you and Stefan are going to marry so I can have daughters too."

He didn't disappoint her by telling her that in his case it would be a big fat never. He wasn't the marrying kind; he wasn't marriage material. Stefan on the other hand was just begging to be roped into matrimonial disharmony. He followed her into the kitchen and took a seat at the kitchen table.

"There should be little Salvatores running around under my feet. I should have grandchildren by now, and don't tell me again that you're too young. You're thirty."

He hoped she would drop the subject. He hated going through this with her every time. Children and marriage just weren't for him. His father was proof that some people should just never marry.

"Haven't you heard that thirty is the new twenty?" he asked her with a smile.

He watched her put the flowers in a vase and fill it with water before she cut him a piece of pie and placed it in front of him.

"How is the new book coming along?" she asked him.

"Fine," he lied.

His mother just raised one eyebrow at him.

His muse had gone, deserted him; and he knew exactly how he was going to fix it. Since Katherine had broken his heart he hadn't been able to write anything. Well, he hadn't been able to write anything that was any good. She'd broken his creative streak. He hoped that going after her and returning the favor would bring his muse back. Sometimes he thought his idea was pure genius and other times he thought it was foolish and stupid. It was worth a shot. His books were about men and women. He'd been confident he knew everything on the subject, but Katherine had shown him otherwise. It had messed with his head, with his confidence, and with his writing. He hoped that retracing their relationship steps would provide him with some serious answers.

"What's Stefan up to these days?" Damon asked trying to change the subject.

"Why don't you give him a call and find out yourself? He'd love to hear from you."

"Yeah, I will. I'm having a function at the house next week; I'll invite Stefan."

"This 'function' won't end up in the papers will it? I hate having to hear about those from Lucille."

"Mrs Morris is an old gossip," he told her. "I'll behave," he told her with a smile. She didn't look convinced.

He finished his pie before looking at his watch. He had an interview at a radio station downtown. Elena had called him yesterday and told him to be there thirty minutes early, but that was never going to happen. If he left now though he'd be able to make it with five minutes to spare.

"Leaving already?" his mom asked when he put his dish in the sink.

"I have an interview," he told her, "wish me luck."

"You don't need it. You were born with too much charm; just like your father."

She patted his face with her hand and Damon tried to hide his disgust at being compared to his father.

He gave her a hug. "I love you, Mom," he called as he walked towards the door.

"Then visit more often," she grumbled as he walked out the door.

* * *

Elena tapped her foot impatiently on the sidewalk outside the studio. He was twenty minutes late and there was still no sign of him. How hard was it to be on time? It was Friday afternoon and she was exhausted after an extremely long week; a week spent calling in favors from everyone she knew to get her newest client on the Oscar Wentworth show. If he was late to that she would kill him. Damon was never going to make it easy on her; she knew that, but she had to make sure she got him to his interviews. Her track record for reliable and punctual clients was what had got her this far in the first place. She did not need that to go down the drain simply because the man couldn't manage his time properly.

Another five minutes passed before he sped up the street on his motorbike and parked right in front of her.

"You are twenty-five minutes late," she told him through gritted teeth.

He took his helmet off and gave her a smile that told her he really didn't give a shit. She took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly, counting backwards from ten to one, and told herself that her heart was beating faster because of how mad she was and not because of how good he looked on a motorbike.

"It's five to four, so technically I'm early," he told her as he climbed off the bike.

She decided not to argue. She needed to get him inside and let him focus on his interview. He followed her into the studio.

"Here he is," she told Marla anxiously once they were inside.

Elena watched Marla's face go from grumpy to welcoming the moment the older lady saw Damon. Thank goodness her new client was both handsome and charming. All credit to him, he had the whole studio eating out of his hand before he even went on the air. It was ridiculous.

She listened quietly to the interview through the headphones that had been handed to her. Dave and Donna were the DJs conducting the interview. Their radio show catered to both men and women in their twenties and thirties. Dave started the interview off by introducing Damon and his books, and then Donna asked the first question.

"So why should pleasing a man in bed be a woman's first priority?"

"To find out why, Donna, you need to buy the book," Damon said. There was some light laughter. "Look it's really quite simple. What women want are relationships, what men want is sex. If you want that all important great relationship you have to put out."

Elena had been sipping on water and just about spat it out.

"There are other things that are important besides sex though, right?" Donna asked.

"Sure there are," Damon replied without missing a beat, "but at the end of the day, sex is really what men want. Women want intimacy and men want to blow their load."

Elena put her glass down and tried not to choke on the water in her mouth. Marla gave her a dirty look. Elena didn't know if the look was because she was making noise or because Marla was as disgusted by Damon's comments as she was.

"If you want intimacy with a man, sex has to be a big part of that, and really the better the sex the more you're going to get out of him."

Elena tuned out for the rest of the interview. She didn't want to hear anymore. She'd picked up his books every night that week, but fallen asleep before she'd read much of them. Now, after hearing his views on women pleasing men in the bedroom, her mind wandered to Matt and what he'd said when they'd broken up.

Finally the interview was over. She assumed it had gone well because she'd heard them laughing and joking throughout the interview.

Afterward she stood out on the curb with him.

"So," he said to her.

"You interview very well," she told him. If she wasn't his publicist she would have told him that he spoke the most offensive and sexist crap she'd ever heard, and then she would have chased him down the street with a tyre iron like the rest of the feminists wanted to. "Speaking of interviews, I have you booked in for a spot on the Oscar Wentworth show a week from Thursday."

Surprise flickered over his face. "I'm impressed," he told her finally.

She was relieved. The Oscar Wentworth show meant loads of publicity, and it had taken a lot of begging to get him the spot. Now she just had to make sure that he got there and on time. Standing up Oscar was not the wisest move.

"I told you that you would be happy with my services," she told him swiftly.

"Yes you did."

There was a pause in the conversation, and feeling uncomfortable with the silence she asked the first thing that popped into head. "Men don't really just want sex, do they?"

He raised both eyebrows. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"No," she mumbled. "Please forget I asked."

He smirked as he got on his bike. He made no move to start it.

"Where are you parked?" he asked her.

"I walked here."

Damon thought she certainly wasn't dressed to be walking around town. She was wearing a black skirt that was short enough to give him an eyeful of her magnificent legs. Her breasts were quite pronounced in her tight fitting purple blouse and her hair was down today, framing her face. He felt heat stirring through him. It was a Friday night and he guessed she was heading out.

"You're going out tonight?" he asked, not sure why he was asking or that he really wanted to know.

"Just around the corner, to the local bar," she told him.

"Ric's Bar and Grill?"

She nodded.

"I'm headed there myself. Do you want a ride?" He didn't mean to ask. The last thing he needed was his sweet and innocent publicist wrapping her arms around him for even a couple of minutes. He hoped she'd say no.

"No," she said quickly. "I mean no thank you. I enjoy the walk. I like the fresh air."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself." He started the bike and reached for his helmet. "I guess I'll see you there then." Then he put his helmet on and left her there before he tried to change her mind.

Elena took her time walking to the bar. She was in no rush, especially now that she knew Damon was going to be there. It was terribly inconvenient having such an attractive client. She'd wanted to get on that bike with him. She wanted to go to bed with him. Even the fact that he was an arrogant and sexist pig really wasn't that much of a deterrent right now. It had been too long since she'd been intimate with a man and obviously that was to blame for the fact that she wanted to jump his bones. Well it certainly didn't help. Damon Salvatore had at least reminded her that she had needs; needs that she'd been denying herself for far too long. It was time to be proactive in getting those needs met. What Matt had said had affected her for long enough. Even if it had been true, and she did lack imagination, she could change. She could learn, she could research, and she could experiment. Maybe once she started dating again, she would have easier luck ignoring the attraction she felt to her client.

She walked inside the bar and saw Bonnie and Caroline already there waiting for her. She bought herself a drink and joined them.

"I'm ready," she told them, once she was seated.

"For what?" Bonnie and Caroline asked her together.

"It's time to start putting myself out there again."

Caroline squealed and clapped her hands. Bonnie just smiled and nodded with approval.

"Let the manhunt begin," Bonnie said, raising her glass. The three of them clinked glasses. It would have been a perfect moment had Elena not looked across the room in that second and seen Katherine there sticking her tongue down Damon's throat.

* * *

A/N: Someone mentioned in one of their reviews the movie, _The Ugly Truth_. You may see shades of that in here. You may see shades of many romantic comedies in here (I hope). Admittedly when I was thinking of this story I was thinking about what it would be like if one crossed certain personality traits of Mike Chadway (The Ugly Truth) with Hank Moody (Californication). I've got a pretty good idea (for once) about where I'm going from here, so I hope that you're enjoying. My internet being down over the past day or so gave me some time to write ahead (I've never done that before), so hopefully an update won't be too far away. Thanks for reading and please review.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Seeing Damon and Katherine together gave Elena an uneasy feeling. She hadn't forgotten Katherine's threat at the start of the week. Being told to watch her back had been a violent message that Katherine would stop at nothing to cause trouble for her; and now seeing her making out with Elena's most important new and difficult client didn't make her feel overly confident. They looked lethal together. They looked like they belonged together. She acknowledged the paranoid thought that the two of them could choose to make her life a living hell if they desired and then pushed it from her mind. She simply couldn't afford to think like that. Then she assured herself that their potential to cause trouble was the only reason that she felt uneasy seeing the two of them together.

"Who is partaking in that disgusting display of affection with The Kat?" Bonnie asked her.

"That's Elena's new client," Caroline told her.

"Girl, are you in trouble," Bonnie said to Elena.

Elena didn't know if Bonnie thought she was in trouble because Damon was breathtakingly handsome, or because he was kissing Katherine, or both. Either way, Elena had to agree with her.

"It's a Friday," Caroline said to them both, "let's try to forget work."

"A bit hard when I can see it making out right in front of me," Elena replied.

"Well I think the bigger news is that you want to start dating again. Let's try and concentrate on that," Caroline told her.

Elena wrenched her gaze away from the two of them. The man could kiss so well that she was starting to imagine herself in Katherine's place right now. The image was exciting enough to take her breath away and make hot anticipation sweep through her. Yes, she needed to concentrate on finding a man.

"I'm starting tonight," Elena told them decisively.

Both Caroline and Bonnie's eyes lit up and Elena watched with some amusement as they surveyed the bar for her, running their eyes over the eligible men. The bar was a popular hang-out on a Friday night, and there were plenty of males to choose from. After a minute, Caroline stopped and pointed discreetly.

"Him," she said.

Elena studied the man Caroline had pointed to. Not bad, Elena thought. The man was turned side on at the bar looking around the room. He was wearing a dark grey suit with a light blue shirt, and he had light brown hair. He was attractive from what she could see of his profile, and reasonably well built. At that moment, he looked right at her. She gave him a small smile, before she looked away. Caroline and Bonnie looked way too excited. Elena felt the flutter of nerves. It had been so long since she'd done this, and well truthfully, the last time she'd been out on a date, Caroline had convinced her to go on a double date, she hadn't had to work for it.

"What are you waiting for?" Bonnie asked her.

"It's been so long, I'm afraid I might have forgotten what I'm meant to do," Elena told them quietly.

"It's like riding a bike, you can't forget," Caroline said.

"It'll come back to you," Bonnie told her. "You just have to get back on the bike. Just don't seem too eager."

"Don't seem too shy either," Caroline told her.

"Smile and play with your hair," Bonnie said.

"Make plenty of eye contact."

"Look at him seductively."

"But don't look desperate," Caroline told her quickly.

Their advice didn't calm her nerves. She just wanted to go up there and get it over with. Of course it would be easier if he approached her and asked for her number, but since that didn't look like it was going to happen she would have to go to him. She could do that, right? Women were all about taking control now. She was a confident, successful woman and she could do this. It was easy. She blew out the breath she'd been holding and walked straight up to the bar.

Damon watched Katherine walk out of the bar as she headed out to enjoy a cigarette in the last bit of remaining sunshine. He would have joined her if he hadn't given them up a long time ago. Katherine had just told him that she wanted to keep their relationship open and see other people. At first he'd been a little insulted, but now he thought it could work quite well in his favor. He preferred to keep his relationships open anyway. This way he could keep things casual on his side and enjoy the company of other women while still working on cracking Katherine. He needed to start writing again; he needed the next big pay check. Katherine was the key, he hoped. He needed his muse. While he and Stefan were sharing the load of taking care of their Mom, another couple of big advances would mean it would all be taken care of.

Again, he'd sat at his computer last night and tried to write something, anything, but nothing had come to him. He'd completely lost it. While he was still receiving royalties from his published works, he needed more than what was rolling in. There had been some interest in him doing a radio show, but that had died down. Maybe his new publicist could help drum up some more interest. She'd managed to get him on the Oscar Wentworth show and that was more than Wylder and Sons PR had done for him. She seemed very focused and determined, even if she didn't exactly agree with what he wrote.

He wasn't looking for Elena, he just happened to see her at the bar talking to some guy. It couldn't be someone she knew, because she looked too darn awkward. Damon was grateful he couldn't hear their conversation because he would probably be cringing right about now. Her eyes were darting about all over the room. She was clearly nervous. Now she was laughing, but it looked forced; she was too uncomfortable for it to be genuine, and she was playing with her hair too much. He wondered how long it had been since she'd done this. She was an incredibly beautiful woman; she should have the guy eating out of the palm of her hand, but somehow she'd managed to completely miss the mark, and the guy was starting to look uncomfortable.

Before Damon thought better of it, he'd walked right up to the bar and sat down on the empty seat beside her, just as the other guy was moving away. He didn't know what he was going to say to her, but the girl needed a bit of a guiding hand. Watching her strike out like that had actually been painful.

Elena breathed a sigh of relief as Tom walked away. She'd been nervous, okay she'd been really nervous, but she thought it had gone pretty well considering it was her first real go at picking up a man. She turned to wave to Bonnie and Caroline when she noticed that Damon was sitting right beside her. How had she not noticed him suddenly appearing next to her? More to the point, why was he there? She hoped he hadn't been listening to her conversation with Tom.

"That went well," Damon muttered under his breath before he took a swig of beer.

His sarcasm was blatantly obvious.

"It did go well. He asked for my number," she told him. Not that it was any of his business.

"Yeah, but he's not going to call you," he said with a slight shrug that she guessed was meant to be somewhat apologetic.

This man thought he knew everything. She'd never met anybody more egotistical than Damon Salvatore. She couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. She hadn't asked for his opinion but she was getting it anyway; his arrogance was maddening.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I'm a man and I wouldn't call you."

"Just because you wouldn't!" She told him fiercely. Then she realized exactly what he said. "Why wouldn't you call me?" She hated herself for asking but found she desperately wanted to know the answer.

"How long have you been out of the game?" he asked her

So, he could tell she was rusty.

"A little while." She didn't want to tell him just how long it had been, but the look on her his face told her he already knew it had been far too long. "You can tell?" she asked him.

"Oh, yeah."

"He might call," she told him, though she was certainly feeling less confident now.

"Look, he's already over there making chit-chat with the redhead."

It was true. Tom was now talking to an attractive woman with long red hair. He was smiling and laughing, while she leaned in and touched his arm. Elena's heart sunk. She'd obviously struck out. To make it worse, her already big-headed client had witnessed her epic failure at picking up a guy. Elena's cheeks burned with embarrassment. Still, there had to be a way to turn this into a positive. Damon Salvatore couldn't know everything, but maybe he did know where she'd gone wrong.

"Why?" she asked him.

"Hmm?" He'd already turned around and forgotten about her. It was obvious he really wasn't that interested in furthering either her self-esteem or her dating life. That was too bad. She wanted answers.

"Why won't he call me?"

"You were just a little bit stiff, that's all. Robotic, contrived, too formal."

"I smiled and I flipped my hair. I flirted."

"It looked rehearsed," he told her plainly.

"You were watching?"

He gave a shrug. "For lack of better entertainment."

She glared at him. "So I'm out of practice, so what?"

"So you just need to loosen up a little bit, relax, enjoy yourself. The raw materials are there…"

"Well, thank you so much…"

"You just need to remember how to use them."

"If, and I do say _if_ all that men want is sex, and I'm willing to put out, then he's the one missing out, isn't he?"

Damon choked on his beer. She was out of her mind, and she was about to put herself in danger if she said that to another man. He couldn't believe she'd said that to him. Did she have any idea what those words would do to man? He had to force his mind to a grinding halt on the fantasies of throwing her over his shoulder, carrying her to the bathroom and showing her exactly how those words had affected him. He tried to get himself under control as quickly as possible, but it wasn't easy when she was sitting there glowering at him and looking tasty enough to eat.

It was obvious, however, that she was completely lacking in experience and it would be all too easy to take advantage of her. Easy for him and just as easy for any other man that was here. He didn't know why he cared, but he didn't believe for a moment she would be that casual about sex. She was the type of woman that you took home to meet your mom, not the type of woman you took home for a one night stand. He quickly bypassed the thought that his mother would like her.

"If you'll excuse me," she told him. "My friends are waiting for me."

She hopped off her bar stool, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her so that she was standing in front of him.

"You shouldn't go around saying things like that."

"Why?"

Was she really that naïve?

"Because a guy could get the wrong idea."

"So, it's okay for men to go out looking for sex, but women can't do the same? Not really one for promoting equality are you, Salvatore?"

"Is that all you're looking for," he asked her, "just sex?"

Elena was tempted to ask if he was he offering when she reminded herself this was her client; he was her work, and sleeping with him would get her fired. Looking at his face right now, she didn't think he was interested anyway. He was wearing more of a concerned big brother expression. She didn't know what that said about her. Here was a man who gave the impression he'd sleep with almost anything in a skirt, but with her he was acting like a big brother. He was still waiting for an answer. Elena tried to remember what the question was.

"Sex; is that all you want, Elena?" he asked her again, his hand still around her upper arm, holding her in place.

"I…No, it's not all I'm looking for," she admitted, trying to shrug his hand off.

There was no point in lying about it. She wanted happily ever after. She wanted to go home with someone night after night, not just for one night. He let her arm go.

"Well then, be careful," he warned her. "Finding sex isn't difficult; but if you want more than sex, you need to ease back into the game. As I said, relax, play it cool, and _enjoy_ it," he told her with a seductive smile.

Great, now she was thinking about _enjoying_ sex with him, and now he wasn't looking at her so brotherly either. No, now his gaze was roving over her so slowly, and with so much heat that she felt an answering heat settle between her thighs. She was aware of her flushed face and shallow breathing. How could he do that with just one look? It was like he was making love to her with his eyes. She ran her tongue over her too dry lips and she watched his eyes track the movement. She was standing right in front of him and it would be only too easy to just move forward a fraction and brush her lips against his.

"Damon, Elena," a cold voice snapped.

Katherine. Her voice was as effective as a bucket of ice being thrown at her. How had Elena possibly forgotten about her? She hadn't even given Damon's other half a second thought as she thought about leaning forward and planting one on him. Where was her head? And he was her client! She could not afford to let this attraction get the better of her. He was going to either get her promoted, or he was going to get her fired. This was just too important to mess up, and she almost had. She had to keep her eye on the ball; and if this little interaction had taught her anything, it was that she would have to be on her toes with him at all times. Her attraction to him was so strong that it would take little encouragement on his part to tempt her into making a terrible mistake. She'd never experienced an attraction like that before and it was not a comfortable feeling. It was like she didn't have control over her own body when he was around her.

Katherine threw an arm around Damon territorially.

"Lover," Katherine said to Damon, before she nibbled on his ear, her cold eyes never leaving Elena's.

Well, that was definitely Elena's cue to leave.

"Thanks for the lesson," Elena said to Damon quickly, before turning around and walking back to her friends who looked as if they were about to die of curiosity.

As Elena sat down, she thought that she would definitely be reading Damon's books when she got home. The man may be far too good looking, and he may have an ego that was far too large, but he knew something. Damon Salvatore was going to be her new resource on what men wanted. She just wasn't going to tell him that.

Damon watched Elena walk away from him. Katherine's hands and mouth were on him, but his body wasn't registering anything but desire for Elena.

"You want her," Katherine told him, her arms still wrapped around him.

Yeah, he wanted her. After their first meeting, he knew that the attraction he felt to her might be something of an inconvenience, but after a second meeting he decided the attraction far surpassed anything he'd experienced before. It was the way she responded to him that got to him. From just a look that passed between them, he'd watched her become aroused, and that had been the biggest turn on of his life. If she was that responsive to a look, how would she respond to his touch, to his kisses? Just thinking about finding out had him painfully hard for her. She was a sexually dormant volcano waiting to explode, and she had no idea of her own sexually passionate nature, he was guessing. She was just waiting for a man to show her what lay underneath the surface. He wanted to be that man. Not that he would tell Katherine that.

"She's not my type," he told her.

"We both know that's a lie."

The tone of her voice meant trouble. He'd heard it enough to know what was coming. He looked at her now to find her looking far too pleased with herself. Knowing Katherine she was scheming up something sure to end in disaster.

"What are you thinking?" he asked her.

"Seduce her."

He'd been afraid that was what she was going to say.

"Why?"

"Because you want her, and I want her gone."

"She'll lose her job if she sleeps with me?" Damon asked, unsure if they could even enforce such a thing.

"She certainly won't get her promotion."

"Why do you want her gone? What has she done, Katherine?"

Katherine pouted at him. "She's the competition. I want her taken out. Is there going to be a problem?"

He wanted to sleep with Elena. He wanted to seduce her. He wouldn't even have to try very hard. He could show her things in bed that she'd never dreamed of, he could already imagine how compatible in bed they would be together; but to do it for the express purpose of getting her fired – well that was wrong. He and Katherine had played games like this before, and he'd never really stopped to think about how screwed up they were until he'd been the one to get hurt. Now it disturbed him that she thought nothing about asking him to sleep with Elena so that there would be less competition for clients. He knew he was using Katherine to write again, but this was different. Elena was a good publicist. She deserved to have her job. Once Katherine decided on something, however, her mind was made up. If she was set on getting rid of Elena, then she would unlikely stop until she was gone.

"And if I won't do it?" he asked her.

"Then I'll ask someone else to do it. I can be very…persuasive."

At that moment, Elena looked up from where she was sitting and looked straight at him. He knew in that moment, that he just couldn't do it. She was such a mix of qualities that he found both intriguing and admirable; she was tough, but vulnerable. She was controlled, but passionate. She was confident, yet inexperienced. She was desirous and still innocent, and he'd never wanted someone more. He was a man who was used to going after and getting what he wanted; especially when it came to women. To hold back on his attraction to Elena would take every ounce of willpower he had. She wasn't a game though, and Damon wasn't about to let her become one of Katherine's games either.

The woman needed protection and lucky for Elena, Damon had just appointed himself her new guardian. He wouldn't tell her that though, she didn't need to know about it. She was just an innocent who he was going to keep out of one dangerous game. Unfortunately, that meant partaking in a game with Katherine himself.

"I'll do it," he told Katherine.

"I thought you might say that," Katherine said to him, her face alight with a sick kind of pleasure that she'd managed to get him to bend to her will.

He had a plan, and that involved letting Katherine believe he was trying to seduce Elena. While Katherine thought he was taking care of her problem, he would be helping Elena find a man. She was obviously looking for one, all he had to do was give her a few hints, provide her with a few opportunities and no doubt she'd be fine. She could certainly use his help in that department anyway. Once Elena was in a relationship, she wasn't going to be tempted by anything that Katherine threw her way. Hopefully by the time Katherine realized he wasn't going to sleep with her, Elena would have her promotion, Damon would have his muse back and he could tell Katherine to go jump, while still keeping his eye on the situation. All he had to do was keep his hands off his publicist and try not to think about going to bed with her; shouldn't be too hard at all.

* * *

A/N: Thanks everyone for your support, reviews, alerts etc. I love hearing your thoughts! Yes, I know Kat is totally hateful in this. In terms of her spontaneously combusting, I suppose if it can happen to the drummer in Spinal tap, it can happen here. We'll see.

I've been moving at a slower pace than what is usual for me, but that will soon change. Thanks for reading and please review.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I don't think I've ever had this much trouble with a chapter before. I've written and rewritten, edited, and chopped; and I've thrown in the towel twice and swore it was over. The characters wouldn't let me do this my way. I wanted this chapter to go in a completely different direction, but in the end I didn't have much choice - they overruled me. I know exactly where this story is going, but sometimes I think D/E are taking me on a few twists and turns to get there, and I keep repeating the phrase; more twists and turns than Chubby Checker in a blender. See, I'm going a little crazy.

Here's chapter 4. Sorry, I'm tired and making Captain Obvious statements.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Elena curled up on the couch and started to read Damon's book on Saturday afternoon. She'd already been jogging, swimming and spent several hours in the office, and now she wanted to curl up with a book. She'd meant to pick up _Why Pleasing Your Man In Bed should Be Your Top Priority,_ but instead picked up _Why You Should Sleep with the Bad Boy_. Out of curiosity she turned the first page, and then the second page, and then she found that she kept turning page after page until she was halfway through the book. It surprised her that his book was well written and interesting. The man had a sarcastic wit that clearly shone through the writing, and she giggled out loud several times.

The idea behind the book was compelling; the bad boy is not Mr Right so it is far easier to relax and enjoy sex with him because there isn't the usual pressure of trying to move the relationship forward. The bad boy isn't someone to settle down with; he isn't marriage material and should never be treated as such. Without the pressure of making a relationship work, one can have fun experimenting and take full advantage of the bad boy's sexual experience to learn a few tricks to please Mr Right.

She'd finished the book by dinnertime, and as she heated up a frozen meal Elena contemplated whether she had it in her to go after a bad boy. The question played on her mind over the following days, and unwittingly she found herself thinking frequently of the man who had written the book. During the daylight hours she could force her mind back onto work; however, at night her dreams were filled with images of the bad boy author doing all kinds of wicked things to her. Somehow reading his book had unlocked the door to her unconscious fantasies and now her brain was telling her she wanted to do all of those things with Damon Salvatore. It was not appreciated considering she simply wasn't allowed to sleep with him.

On Wednesday morning, Elena woke up feeling more than just a little hot and bothered after a particularly erotic dream in which Damon had been doing all kinds of things to her in the shower. She jogged for an extra thirty minutes to run off the tension, and said silent thanks for the fact that she didn't have a meeting scheduled with her client until Friday. That gave her two days to focus on what she could do for him as a publicist, and not all the ways he could satisfy her as a man.

* * *

Damon pulled up outside Mystic Falls PR and prepared himself mentally for seeing his pretty publicist again. She'd been on his mind since Friday night and even though he didn't have a meeting scheduled with her for a couple of days, he'd decided to pay her an earlier visit. He was keen to put his plan into action; once she was with someone, safely in some kind of a relationship with a man, he wouldn't be able to seduce her. He was still fighting against the thoughts of giving in to his lower urges and pursuing her. Fighting his nature to sleep with a woman did not come naturally to him, and he questioned everyday why the hell he'd made himself her protector. It wasn't like he owed her anything. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have thought twice about taking what he wanted and to hell with the consequences. Something about this woman, however, sung out to him that she needed to be protected.

As he rode the lift up to Elena's floor he told himself he would protect her from Katherine, he would protect her from himself, and he could cope with not sleeping with one member of the female population. And if he couldn't get her out of his head and a small part of him just wanted to see her again, it didn't really matter.

He didn't have an appointment and he knew she wouldn't be happy about that. Elena seemed like the kind of woman who would struggle to deal with doing anything remotely impulsive. That was too bad; he'd come to take her to lunch and he wasn't taking no for an answer.

Caroline's eyes lit up when they saw him. "Hi Damon…I mean Mr Salvatore…I mean…"

"Call me Damon," he told her, smiling at her until she smiled back. "Is Elena busy? I want to take her to lunch."

Caroline looked down at the book in front of her which he assumed held the information for Elena's meetings. "She has a meeting in thirty minutes," Caroline told him helpfully.

He leaned in slightly, and gave her his most charming smile.

"Can we push it back, say thirty minutes?" he asked.

"Umm…"

"You see Caroline, Elena has assured me that I will be happy with her services and I was really hoping I could speak to her about some ideas I had."

Caroline bit her lip and frowned slightly. "I should speak to Elena before I change anything…"

"You push the meeting back, and I'll deal with your boss," he told her, with a wink.

"Okay," Caroline said with a smile. Then she leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. "You are her new number one client, and she does want to keep you happy."

"Thank you Caroline. You have been _extremely_ helpful," he assured her. "Now I'm going to go and tell Elena exactly how helpful you've been," he told the girl.

"She's on the phone…"

He was already moving towards her office, "I'll wait outside."

Damon stood just outside her door and listened to her conversation. She was obviously speaking to a client.

"Yes, Tyler, I'm handling it. No, I assure you there is nothing to worry about…of course. All you need to do is concentrate on your date tonight…yes I think she'd like that." He heard her laugh lightly. "You know I'll take care of everything…okay. Have fun tonight."

He'd heard Katherine on the phone doing business, and she wasn't like that. Katherine was extremely efficient, but she was also cool and sometimes abrupt. Elena on the other hand sounded warm and reassuring. It was easy to believe that the publicist genuinely cared about her client. Was Elena like that with all her clients, or just with Tyler? Did Elena care about him as more than a client? He didn't like the idea; if he was going to try hooking her up with someone, it would make it easier if she wasn't pining away for this Tyler guy.

Elena hung up the phone from Tyler to find Damon Salvatore leaning in her office doorway. His pose was casual, but his eyes were intense as they met hers. Her first reaction was shock. She thought she would have two more days to get a handle on her indecent thoughts before she saw him, and to see him standing there had her shower fantasy from this morning flashing before her eyes in vivid detail. Heat settled low in her belly, and she resented it immediately.

"Damon, I wasn't expecting to see you. We don't have a meeting scheduled today."

She had been striving to sound polite, but she thought she sounded a little brusque. She hoped he wouldn't notice.

"We do now. Caroline scheduled one for us."

If her tone had been a little sharp, his sounded just as clipped.

"I don't understand," she told him.

He walked into her office and picked up the stress ball that was sitting on her desk.

"I thought I'd take you to lunch."

He began to throw the ball up and catch it. She stood up, walked over to him and caught the ball mid-air, before moving quickly away from him. "I don't date clients."

"I'm not asking you for a date," he said with a frown, as if the idea of asking her out had never even crossed his mind. Elena told herself she shouldn't feel insulted. "Consider it a business lunch," he told her.

"Business?"

"Yes," he told her, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, crossing his arms over his chest. "I wanted to talk to you about the radio show."

"Right," Elena said, looking at her diary, "I do have a meeting…"

"Caroline postponed it."

She stared at him. "She wouldn't do that without consulting me first."

"Well she didn't want to at first, but I assured her it would be fine."

She felt her body grow hot, but now it wasn't from desire, it was from anger. "That was an important meeting…"

"If it was that important, Caroline wouldn't have changed it. Besides, your assistant thought that since I am your new number one client, and you want to keep me happy, that it would be okay."

She felt furious at being put in this position and she wanted to say no just to see that arrogant smirk wiped off his face, but he obviously did want to talk business and admittedly she did want to keep him happy.

"I suppose I can give you an hour," she said reluctantly, not caring if he knew she was less than impressed about it. The man was obviously far too used to getting his own way.

His answering smirk grated on her. "An hour is all I need."

* * *

They went across the road to Ric's Bar and Grill and ordered lunch. Almost as soon as they were seated, Damon started talking to her about the radio show he'd been approached about. He was concerned that there had been no follow-up. Elena was relieved she'd spent time looking into it, so she actually had something to tell her client.

"When I spoke with RCW last week they assured me that they are still interested, but they feel the time isn't right at the moment."

"What does that mean exactly?"

Elena gave him a confident smile. "It simply means they need to be reminded why they contacted you in the first place."

"How do we do that?"

From Elena's research into Damon's interview appearances in the past six months, it was evident that Wylder PR had been somewhat neglectful of their ex-client. While Damon Salvatore was still a name most people were familiar with, his popularity had started to decline. Elena had every confidence that she could turn that around quickly, providing her client was willing to do as she told him and get to his interviews on time.

"The Oscar Wentworth show is just the beginning," she told him. "I'm currently working on several more big TV spots, and we need to make the most of the local interview circuit."

Damon nodded, but she could still see the doubt in his face that it would happen. She didn't think twice about leaning forward and putting her hand lightly over his. "I will make this happen for you," she promised him.

It was something she would have done with any other client, but she had forgotten that Damon was not any other client. As his eyes met hers, she felt the electricity between them, and removed her hand immediately, feeling as if she had been zapped.

Damon studied his publicist. It was clear she believed what she was saying; she would make it happen for him. He couldn't help but be impressed with her dedication towards her work. She had a warm and easy attitude; she was thorough, and she'd already handled his publicity better than he thought she could. He liked her. The thought made him uncomfortable. Lust, he knew and understood, but adding like to the pile of growing feelings he had about the woman didn't make him feel overjoyed about helping her find a man that wasn't him.

Her quick glance at her watch now, reminded him that he had limited time in which to bring up the subject. He'd spent a lot of time contemplating what to say; he'd even planned the conversation out in his head several times. The problem was he still didn't have an answer on how to approach this. It wasn't like him to not know what to say to a woman, but normally he was able to us his charm. He couldn't use charm on Elena, however, because she'd see through it, and he wanted to avoid any temptation either way. As it was, when she'd first seen him today, he'd seen desire flash across her beautiful features. Just that look had been enough to kick his libido into overdrive. He'd originally thought that keeping Elena out of the game with Katherine was best, but now as he sat face to face with her he couldn't help but think the only thing to do here was be honest.

"Katherine doesn't like you," he said to her, before popping a fry in his mouth.

Elena sat back in her chair, reeling a little from his bluntness. Tact was clearly not his strong point. She supposed he didn't really need it; he made a living out of 'telling the truth'.

"That's…that shouldn't be relevant to what you feel about my work."

"It's not."

Katherine's feelings were unfortunate, but they were not Elena's concern, and it wasn't an appropriate conversation during their business meeting.

"Then why bring it up. What Katherine says about me behind closed doors is something I don't need to know about," she told him coolly.

"I think it is. She wants you gone."

"What?" She was sure she hadn't heard him properly.

"She sees you as a threat. She doesn't want to compete."

Elena tried to keep a handle on the rage building inside her. Katherine had gone too far this time, and Elena would have to stop her…somehow.

"So what are you saying?" she asked him, trying to keep her voice level. "You think I should leave?"

"Not at all."

"Just because Katherine doesn't like me very much does not mean I'm just going to pack my bags and leave Mystic Falls PR."

"Katherine wants you gone; there's zero you can do about it…"

"That's…"

"But I'm offering you my help on this one."

Her head was reeling again. None of this made sense. "How are you going to help me?"

"You need a man. I'll help you get one."

If she'd had anything in her mouth she would have spat it out. "I don't need help getting a man."

He didn't say anything, just raised both eyebrows at her. Her cheeks flamed as she remembered how he'd seen her fail to pick up the other night. She was mortified he thought she needed his charity, but she was also confused; how was getting a man going to stop Katherine from coming after her? What were his motives in all of this?

"Why would you help me?"

"I like you, and Katherine shouldn't have her way all the time."

"She's done this before?"

"She's Katherine; she loves playing games."

"I still don't think I understand."

"Does it really matter?"

"Yes."

"Fine, Miss I-Have-To-Know-It-All, I'm helping you because you're helping me." Damon thought it was far simpler to explain it that way than to tell her he had some strange need to protect her. She'd be more likely to believe he was doing it for some kind of pay-off anyway.

"That's my job," she said, but she was nodding. "And I need you to find me a man because…?"

He gave her a wolfish grin. "So I remember to keep my hands off you."

Elena sucked in her breath. She had pushed him for an answer, but she hadn't expected that one, and his words had caught her off guard. To hear him admit he wanted to put his hands on her only reminded her of how much she wanted him to touch her; of the need she'd experienced as she dreamed about him just this morning.

"You need to stop doing that," he said harshly.

"Doing what?" she asked, confused.

"Looking at me like _that_."

Elena flushed furiously as she realized he knew she'd been thinking about him; that she'd been thinking about _sex_ with him. He could read her far too easily, and she obviously needed to learn how to mask what she was feeling a little better. They were far too sexually aware of each other already, and her transparency would only make things worse.

"Katherine wants me to seduce you and I don't resist temptation well," he told her.

"You think you could seduce me?" Her question sounded like a challenge and she wished she could take it back as soon as she'd asked it.

"We have something, Elena, an attraction, and yes, I think it would only be too easy for me to get you to act upon it."

She wanted to hate him for his arrogance, but she didn't. He was being honest, brutally honest, and he was probably right. Without this new knowledge, she might have only been able to hold out on the attraction for so long, but how could she possibly sleep with him now that she knew Katherine wanted her to? He'd done her a favor. She didn't know why. The man had an odd habit of surprising her.

"Thank you for your honesty," she told him.

"I wouldn't thank me for anything yet," he said seriously. "Katherine tells me that you'll be promoted if I'm happy with your…work?"

Elena nodded.

"Get me my radio show and I'll tell Elijah I'm impressed. In the meantime, take my advice on men, and you'll have one in no time. You get your promotion, and I stop finding you so…distracting."

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out."

"Yup, I'm awesome."

"Modest too," she said, raising an eyebrow at him.

His answering smile was genuine and it made the butterflies dance in her stomach. This one man had thrown her world completely into turmoil and truthfully, and she didn't like it or quite know how to act. She wasn't entirely comfortable with the situation, but she didn't know how to get around it either. If she wanted to play with the big boys and impress Elijah, she had to do well with this client. He wanted that radio show and she would get it for him. That was business. That was easy.

However, things were decidedly more personal now that he'd told her she was a temptation and he thought he could seduce her. She didn't understand his motivations for telling her about Katherine, and she didn't feel comfortable having him involved in her private life, but did she have a choice? If she told him she didn't want his help, would he make it his mission to seduce her? She couldn't afford to put him offside. She couldn't afford for him to pursue her. She needed this to work.

Putting a positive spin on the situation, she told herself that a resource like Damon didn't come along very often. She would make the most of it.

"How are you going to help me with my manhunt?" she asked him.

"Can you meet me here tomorrow after work?"

She only hesitated for a short moment before she nodded.

"Tomorrow I'll give you a few pointers, and then Friday night I'm having a small party; you can come along and meet some of the guys."

Elena tried not to look alarmed. Damon Salvatore did not have small parties. He had raging catastrophes that caused his publicists no end of grief. Well at least if she was there she'd know what she was covering up.

"Don't look so scared. You can bring Blondie."

"Blondie?"

"Caroline. I saw you two at the bar on Friday night. I assume she's your friend."

Elena nodded again.

"She looks like a girl who likes to have fun," he said to her.

Right now his expression was purely predatory, and it left little doubt in Elena's mind that the man in front of her would get almost anything he went after. What would it have been like, she wondered, if he had tried to seduce her? The thought both frightened and thrilled her. She wanted to think she wouldn't be the easy prey he was used to, but she was relieved she wouldn't have to find out exactly how fast she might have fallen to his charms.

Caroline, on the other hand, might get to see exactly how charming Damon Salvatore could be. Elena wondered, not for the first time that night, what kind of relationship Damon had with Katherine. If she were to guess, she would say it was an open relationship; albeit a pretty disturbing one too, going off what Katherine had asked Damon to do. Hopefully, Damon would not hook up with Caroline. The rule of not dating clients didn't apply to clerical staff, which was unfortunate because she wanted to warn the man off her assistant. If Caroline hooked up with Damon it would be awkward, and Elena would most likely be subjected to hearing all about their sexcapades in graphic detail. Caroline was a sharer.

Elena finished her meal quickly and paid for their lunches. Despite Damon's protests, it had been a business lunch, and she insisted that the company pay for it. Once the bill was settled she said a quick goodbye and rushed back to the office. Even though he'd warned her about both himself and Katherine, she realized he was still dangerous. He said he didn't resist temptation well, and so she would need to make sure she didn't give him any reason to be tempted, for both their sakes. Maybe she'd meet someone at his party on Friday night; maybe she'd even find the nerve to go after a bad boy; a bad boy that was _not_ her client.

Damon bought himself another beer from the bar after Elena had gone. He figured he deserved it after doing his good deed for the day. She had left him in a hurry and he couldn't blame her for that. At least she realized that the less time they spent together right now, the better. He was an excellent teacher, and he hoped his publicist would be a quick study, because his resistance was already strained, and this good guy act could only last so long.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to Summer Fairy for putting up with my maudlin emails and trying so hard to pull me out of my funk this week :)

Well it's late here, and I'm off to bed. Happy Valentines Day. I hope you're all having a wonderful day. Thanks for reading and please review.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I was in very low spirits when I posted and your reviews and kind words really helped pull me out of the doldrums.

So, I'm back with another chapter. Chapter four was an uphill battle every step of the way, but this chapter was a lot of fun to write. In fact I don't think I've ever enjoyed writing a chapter more than I did this one, for several reasons. One, I was totally immersed in my own D/E fantasy world. Two, Damon, who has been quiet for me on and off the past four chapters, got very vocal. Three, I had a lot of reasons to giggle during this.

This chapter is a longish one, and I was going to break it into two, but I thought you guys would want to read about the party. I hope you enjoy :)

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Elena finished work late on Thursday, and headed over to the bar at around seven o'clock. Spending a night in Damon Salvatore's company, learning how to pick up men, was not the way she wanted to spend her evening; but she would go and get it over with. She usually learned things quickly, and hopefully she'd learn all she had to from Damon in one night.

When she walked into Ric's, she spotted him straight away. He was at the bar talking to a woman she hadn't seen in there before. Elena noticed the casual way they were speaking. Their body language was completely relaxed and she was laughing like he'd told her something extraordinarily funny, while he was sitting back and smirking at her. It was obviously a moment between friends.

Elena hesitated for a moment, not wanting to walk over there and interrupt them, but as if he felt her watching him, he turned and looked straight at her. Even across a crowded room, she felt the electricity between them as his eyes met hers. Ignoring the way her heart jumped, she forced her legs to move forward.

As soon as Elena drew closer to the couple, she noticed that Damon's easy and relaxed attitude disappeared, and he became serious. It was as if her being there put him on guard, and Elena didn't like the feeling. She liked her clients to feel comfortable with her. She knew why he wasn't relaxed though, it was the same reason that she was feeling uptight and on edge; there was an attraction between them that couldn't be acted upon.

"Andie, this is Elena. Elena, this is Andie; my agent."

"Nice to meet you," Elena said, holding out her hand. Andie took it without any question and smiled politely at her.

In the file she had on her client, Elena had seen the information for Damon's agent, but she hadn't spoken to her before.

"Well, I'll leave you two to it. Nice to meet you, Elena," Andie said to her, before she leaned in and gave Damon a kiss on the cheek. "I want to see what you've got by the end of next month. No more procrastinating, okay?" With that, she left them and walked out of the bar.

"Writer's block?" Elena asked Damon, once Andie was out of sight.

"It's nothing," he replied casually.

She'd represented authors before and once they let their writer's block get on top of them a lot of them never wrote again.

"Damon, I've had clients with writer's block before. I know…"

"I said it's nothing."

His tone was a lot less casual now and his jaw was clamped shut. She could feel the tension emanating from him. He was touchy on the subject. Sometimes talking about it helped, but it was up to him.

"If you decide you want to talk about it anytime…" she trailed off, as she watched his expression grow darker. "Never mind," she muttered under her breath.

Damon knew Elena was only trying to help, but she couldn't solve his problem. His publicist was the type of person who got involved in her client's business and he was beginning to see she really did care about her clients. She was a real Miss Fix-It; a do-gooder. If she thought she could fix him, though, she'd be disappointed. He'd come across women who had tried to fix him before, and tried to change him; but he had too many problems, and those desperate enough to believe he was capable of change always walked away from him bitterly disappointed and disillusioned.

"Buy you a beer?" he asked her.

"Sure," she said, giving him a small smile.

They weren't here on a date, and they weren't friends; they weren't even here on business and he knew she was uncomfortable. He didn't tell her that he was just as uncomfortable. The last thing he wanted to be doing was giving her seduction tips for her to use on _other_ guys.

They took their beers away from the bar and sat at a table. Elena tried to relax, but it wasn't easy considering the company she was in and the purpose of their get-together.

"So," Elena started, wanting to get down to business, "should I take out my notepad and pen?"

For a moment Damon thought she was serious, but then he realized she was making a joke. He was relieved. This would be easier if she had a sense of humor.

"First we observe," he told her.

"Observe?"

"You see that blonde over there?"

She nodded when she spotted the woman Damon had motioned to.

"That's Keira; she comes in here every Thursday night, looking for one thing."

Elena watched the blonde woman sashay up to one of the men at the bar and strike up a conversation.

"What's the first thing you notice about her?" Damon asked her.

"She's confident," Elena said, a little uncertainly.

"Yes, exactly. She's confident. Men like a woman who is confident."

"Got it," Elena said, "confidence is important."

"What else do you notice?" Damon asked.

"She's dressed kind of trashy."

"She's dressed in the ideal way to attract a man."

"I'm not dressing like that."

Damon's sudden mental image of Elena in a tight mini skirt and halter top had him sporting a painful erection. He cursed his exceptional imagination and forced his mind under control.

"Then don't wear that exact thing, but men are visual. We know within seven seconds if we're attracted to a woman or not, so appearances count. At least show some cleavage."

"Show some cleavage? Okay. Next."

"See what she's doing there?"

Keira was now leaning in and laughing. Elena watched as she laid her hand on the guy's thigh. It was a little too forward for Elena's taste, but the guy seemed to be eating it up.

"She's flirting," Damon said. "Maintaining eye contact and touching a guy lets him know you're interested."

"Got it. Eye contact and touch."

"She's also laughing at his jokes. If you like a guy, make sure you focus all your attention on him. Listen to what he says, and don't talk incessantly about yourself. Despite what you think, men don't want to know what you had for lunch or how long it took you to do your hair in the morning."

Elena rolled her eyes then looked at him. "So, act like a bimbo and flatter his ego and I'll be fine."

"You're picking this up quicker than I thought you would."

Damon smirked at her and took a swig of his beer.

"And you're quite sure all men are that shallow?" she asked him, shaking her head.

"I'm sure that all men are after one thing."

"You make it sound like men are totally incapable of anything other than thinking about sex. I'm sure there are guys out there who want a relationship and intimacy as much as women do."

"That's a common misconception most women have. The only thing men want is sex. The only reason a man will stay with a woman is because of sex."

"That can't be true in all cases," Elena said, her voice flat.

Was she searching for the unattainable? Was there no such thing as a relationship that was based on deep love and affection, as well as sex? She had to believe it was possible. Bonnie and Jeremy had something. When Elena saw them together, they were always so happy. It was clear they enjoyed spending time together.

"Believe what you want," Damon said with a shrug.

"What if a woman's not good in the bedroom? Will she have to spend her lifetime alone?"

Damon studied the woman in front of him, and thought he needed to down at least another ten beers before he tackled that conversation. Something told him they were getting personal. Far more personal than he wanted to get with her. She wasn't speaking about some other woman; she was speaking about herself and she was scared she wouldn't measure up.

It was an entirely stupid notion; probably given to her by some sexually incompetent man who blamed her for their lack lustre sex life. Damon knew instinctively that she would measure up in the bedroom, and probably put more than half of his previous lovers to shame. Elena Gilbert was a sexually responsive woman. All she needed was a confident and knowledgeable sexual partner to show her a thing or two.

This was exactly why he didn't want to get personal with her; his mind was getting carried away with the idea of being her teacher, and of tutoring her in all kinds of sexual activities. His jeans were painfully tight again. He shifted uncomfortably and concentrated on picturing Mrs Lieberwotsky, his eighth grade history teacher. Normally her wrinkly face was as effective as a cold shower.

Once he was certain that he could discuss the topic without jumping her, he tried to think of what to say to her.

"There's no such thing as a woman who's not good in the bedroom, just a woman who needs more experience."

She was quiet for a moment and he thought she was evaluating what he'd said.

"I read your book, _Why You Should Sleep with the Bad Boy_."

Damon had a terrible suspicion he knew where this was going.

"I thought the idea was…interesting. You have a logical way of putting things and I'll admit I'm…intrigued."

Yeah, he knew where this was going. "Intrigued?"

"There is merit to your idea and I…I'd like to…I want to sleep with a bad boy."

Damon cursed under his breath. She'd gone there, and now he was wondering if this was all far more trouble than it was worth.

"Perhaps…will there be…do you have any friends that are bad boys? You know, that you could introduce me to tomorrow."

She was obviously trying to kill him. She clearly had no idea how much he wanted to sleep with her, and now she wanted to sleep with a bad boy that wasn't him? Maybe when hell freezes over. She was supposed to be getting involved in a nice sturdy monogamous relationship, so she was less of a temptation. The so called bad boys he knew would chew her up and spit her out in a heartbeat. Moreover, he didn't want to have to worry about her. His help was a one off thing. If she started seeing a bad boy, she'd probably start asking for his advice all the time, and he'd feel responsible for her. He didn't sign up for that.

"You don't want casual sex, you want a relationship," he told her flat out. "You said that yourself, last Friday."

"That was before I read your book. I want to be with someone who knows what they're doing. I want to learn some things before I go looking for Mr Right."

"Read the god damn _Kama Sutra_ if you want to learn something about sex. Stay away from bad boys; they're not good for you."

His beer was all gone, and now Damon wanted a bottle, or two, of his best bourbon.

"But your book…"

"Why are we doing all of this?" Damon growled at her. The lady clearly had no idea how much of a threat he was to her; of how much he wanted her.

She looked at him in confusion.

"Why are we here? What are we doing?" he asked her, trying to keep the lid on temper.

"You're teaching me how to pick-up."

"Why? Why am I teaching you this?"

"Because…I'm a distraction."

"Exactly, you're a distraction. Do you think I'm going to be any less distracted if I have to worry about you getting in over your head with some guy who just wants to use you for sex? You need to be in a committed relationship with a nice guy."

Elena bristled at his comments. Now he was telling her who she could and couldn't sleep with. Her safety and wellbeing wasn't his concern. Yes, she knew he was trying to protect her from Katherine, but this was different. She wanted to tell him he was crossing the line, but this situation was so strange and bizarre that Elena had lost sight of where the line was actually supposed to be.

"So you're telling me I'm not _allowed_ to sleep with a bad boy?"

"The only bad boy you're getting into bed with is _me_," he said to her heatedly.

Elena heard her own quick intake of breath at his choice of words. His eyes were hot on hers, and she squeezed her thighs tightly together as her body responded to the thought of going to bed with him.

"And since that isn't going to happen," Damon continued, "consider a Mr Nice Guy your only option."

"Fine," Elena muttered. She didn't want to continue this conversation. Her body was aching with a need she wasn't familiar with, and it was all she could do to not invite him home with her. Remembering that Damon read her so easily, she tried to hide her arousal; but as she watched his eyes darken imperceptibly, she thought she'd most likely failed.

"I think we're done here," Damon said to her sharply.

It took Elena a moment to realize he was not talking about taking her home and continuing this; he was talking about stopping their session. Probably just as well. Any longer and she would do something regrettable. She didn't think clearly when she was around him; but then it was hard to think through a thick haze of lust and desire.

Elena nodded. "Well, tonight has been informative. Thank you."

Cringing at the way her voice came out stilted and formal, she literally jumped out of her seat, grabbed her bag from under the table and went to bolt out of there. Damon, however, grabbed her by the wrist before she got very far.

"Where are you parked?" he asked her.

She couldn't even meet his eyes as she told him, "Across the road."

"I'll walk you," he told her.

She didn't think that was a good idea. She might invite him into her car.

"Really, there's no need," she assured him quickly.

"Sure there is,' he said to her. "There's all kinds of things that go bump in the night; vampires, werewolves etc."

She looked at him. He was smirking and wiggling his eyebrows, and she realized he was just trying to lighten the mood. She might as well go with it. If she protested any further, it would take even longer to get away from him. She nodded. "Let's go."

They didn't talk at all during the three minutes it took to cross the road, but once they got to the car things got awkward quickly.

"Thanks for keeping me safe," Elena said to him, looking at her feet.

"Just doing my part in the neighborhood watch."

"I'll see you tomorrow, for our meeting," Elena told him, turning around and pressing the button on her keys to make the door unlock.

As she opened her car door, Damon put his arm out and pushed the door shut, stopping her from getting in. Elena felt her heart rate double as she turned around slowly to face him.

He stood right in front of her, close enough for her to reach out and touch him. "Just in case I haven't made myself perfectly clear already; I want you, Elena."

Her heart felt as if it was beating uncontrollably now as his gaze lingered on her lips. When his eyes flicked upwards and landed on hers, what she saw in them both terrified and excited her.

"You aren't safe from me, yet. If you do _anything_ to encourage me, I won't think twice about sleeping with you. Do you understand me?"

She knew he spoke the truth. It was her final warning. If she didn't want things to go any further, she would have to watch her step with him every single second they were together.

She nodded. "I understand," she told him softly, looking away from him now.

"Good."

Damon stepped away and let her get in the car. When he watched her drive out of the carpark in a rush, he chuckled to himself; anyone would believe there was a demon on her tail. He walked back across to the bar and bought another drink, and wondered if alcohol would help dull the cravings he had for her.

He couldn't have made himself any clearer before; if she so much as looked at him like she wanted him to touch her, his control would most likely slip. He'd never tried to ignore an attraction before, let alone one so powerful it had the ability to make him think of little else. He didn't know how much longer he could hold it together. He had every faith that she'd have no trouble picking up a guy. Her confidence level in the bedroom was another thing entirely, but she could reel one in. There were some decent guys coming to the party tomorrow night. He'd introduce her to a few of them, hopefully she'd hit it off with one of them, and then he could concentrate on project Katherine, instead of thinking about his publicist all the damn time.

* * *

Elena pulled up the well lit drive to a particularly large house. She could hear voices and loud music coming from inside and outside the house. Cars were parked all over the front lawn, and Elena didn't even want to hazard a guess at how many people were there, but she was guessing it would be into the hundreds. The house looked big enough to accommodate all of them at least.

"How do I look?" she asked Caroline, suddenly feeling very nervous.

After Damon's comments last night, Elena had gone to a lot of effort getting ready this evening. She liked to think she knew how to make an impression, but after listening to what he'd told her, she'd decided to go all out. She'd settled on a peacock blue dress which had black swirls on it. It was short, but not too short, and it pushed her bust up and showed plenty of cleavage.

"Like you're going to attract a lot of attention," Caroline told her with a reassuring smile.

"Thanks for coming with me tonight."

"Are you kidding? I've always wanted to come to one of these parties," Caroline said.

Elena smiled at the excitement in her friend's voice. She couldn't help but wish she felt the same way, but instead she was trying to get handle on her nerves. She felt nothing but anxiety at the thought of coming face to face with him again. Her meeting with Damon this afternoon had been tense and sexually charged. The tension between them was mounting daily, and if there wasn't so much riding on her not sleeping with him, she might have suggested they spend an evening together just to get it out of their systems. That wasn't an option though.

Procrastinating going inside a fraction longer, Elena pulled the visor down and checked her makeup in the small mirror on it, before pushing it back up.

"Let's go already," Caroline said impatiently.

"Okay, let's do this," Elena said, reaching to open her car door, before she lost her nerve altogether.

Less than thirty seconds after they had both exited the car, they were treated to full frontal nudity. Two women streaked past them and into the nearby bushes. A minute later a man came running after them, holding three glasses, and a bottle of something that Elena couldn't quite read the label of. He stopped right in front of them. Thank goodness he was wearing boxers.

"Have you seen two…?"

Elena heard giggling behind her, and the man grinned before running towards the bushes. "Ready or not, here I come," he called out.

Elena and Caroline just looked at each other.

Unable to get in through the front door, because it was locked and no-one could hear them knocking over the music, they went round the back, through the side gate.

The back yard was taken up with an enormous pool; a pool currently occupied with bodies. There was a hot tub adjoining the swimming pool, in which there were girls lined up, their bikini tops off.

"I didn't bring my bathers," Caroline pouted.

"I didn't know there would be people swimming," Elena told her, and if she had known, she still wouldn't have brought her bathers. Damon might have told her that showing cleavage was important, but there was no way she would be going topless tonight.

They walked into the house through a sliding glass door that was already open, not really knowing what she was looking for. Inside, the music was loud enough to make conversation difficult. There was a throng of people dancing in a large living area. The scene reminded her of _Dirty Dancing_, as she watched men and women moving together and, gyrating obscenely. Elena couldn't help but feel a little dirty for watching.

"Wow," Elena said.

"Yeah," Caroline echoed.

She couldn't see Damon anywhere as yet. She didn't know whether she should hunt him down, let him find her, or try and meet a guy all on her own. She decided on the latter option. The less she saw of Damon the better.

"Whoo," Caroline said, as a tall blonde guy pulled her onto the floor and started dancing with her.

"Well that's great," Elena muttered, suddenly standing alone.

Then the crowd parted a bit and she saw Damon dancing over towards the back of the room with Katherine. He held a beer in one hand and had his other arm around her, holding her close. They looked like they were literally glued together. His shirt was open and Katherine was running her hands over his chest. Before another second passed, Elena turned around quickly and walked away as fast as her legs would carry her. It wasn't that it bothered her to see the two of them together; she just didn't want him to catch her watching them. Besides, she really wasn't ready to face him just yet.

Not knowing where she was going, she turned around a corner quickly and walked smack bang into a hard male chest. She would have been knocked off balance except for the arms that came out to steady her.

"Are you okay?"

Elena looked up to see who she'd bumped into. Her first thought was that he was extremely attractive. He had a kind face, nice eyes, and a gorgeous smile. Elena guessed he was probably in his mid to late twenties. He was starting to look concerned now, and Elena realized she should probably say something, or he'd think she was clumsy and mute.

"I'm fine," she said, giving him her best smile. "I'm sorry. I didn't know where I was going and…"

"That's okay. I'm not going to complain about a beautiful woman running into me."

Elena laughed, remembering Damon telling her last night to laugh and flirt.

"I'm Elena,"

"I'm Stefan," he said. He smiled again and Elena smiled back at him. They stood there for a moment smiling at each other, until he pointed towards the back door where she'd come in from. "Come on, since you don't know your way around, I'll show you where the booze is."

"Great," Elena said, "lead the way."

This was perfect. She'd met a guy; a guy who seemed very nice, and she hadn't even needed Damon to introduce her to him. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so awkward after all. Hopefully if Damon did find her, he would see she was busy and she wouldn't have to talk to him at all tonight.

* * *

When Damon became aware that Caroline was dancing across the other side of the room, he stopped dancing with Katherine straight away and went looking for Elena. It worried him that she wasn't with her friend, and he couldn't see her anywhere in the room. He hoped she hadn't gotten herself into any trouble with the wrong guy. He was supposed to be introducing her to the right guys, but he'd missed her entrance.

After frantically checking each room of the house and finding her nowhere, he walked outside and stopped short when he saw her. She was sitting on one of the love seats outside, and he watched as she laughed, smiled, touched and flirted with his brother. He should have felt grateful that she was such a quick study; but instead he felt something else entirely. He didn't even know what it was he was feeling, he just knew he wasn't happy.

Elena looked around as Stefan stood up suddenly. Then she noticed Damon stalking towards them. She'd really hoped to avoid speaking to him tonight but it didn't look like she'd be that lucky. His shirt was still open, and she struggled not to look at his naked chest as he came to a stop in front of her. She was expecting him to say something to her, but instead he ignored her and embraced Stefan roughly.

"I didn't even realize you were here," Damon said to Stefan.

"I got here earlier than I thought I would. Lucky I did or I might have missed _literally_ bumping into Elena."

Stefan looked at her now and smiled. She smiled back at him and stood up, not wanting to be the only person sitting down. Obviously the two men knew each other well and she may have to make some small talk with the two of them until Damon left them alone. Damon looked at her briefly, but his expression was unreadable.

"Elena is my new publicist," Damon told Stefan.

"Right," Stefan said, frowning slightly. "I didn't realize you'd changed company. Wylder PR wasn't working out?"

"Something like that," Damon said, before taking a swig of his beer.

Stefan turned to her now, still frowning.

"You obviously don't have an issue with what he writes, then?"

"Umm," Elena wasn't sure how to respond to that. She looked at Damon.

"Don't mind Stefan, he thinks what I write is sensationalized rubbish. Isn't that right, Stefan?"

"Don't do this tonight, Damon. I thought when you invited me here that we were going to try and put things behind us."

"I thought so too, but you're full of the same judgmental bullshit as always."

"Look, I'm trying. I just don't understand why you insist on following in Dad's footsteps…"

"In case it has skipped your attention, Stefan, it's the money I make from those books that's keeping a roof over _our_ mother's head and food on her table at present. So you need to try harder."

They were brothers. Elena felt sick to her stomach. What were the chances? They didn't even look alike. There may be a slight resemblance, but she would have to look really hard for it. The thought that she'd taken seduction tips from one brother and used them on the other was…disturbing.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to fight," Stefan said apologetically.

"Forget it," Damon said dismissively, giving them both a tight smile. "Enjoy the party, both of you."

With that he started to walk away from them.

"I'm sorry about that," Stefan said to her, his eyes not leaving Damon's retreating form. "Things have been a little strained between my brother and I lately."

"Will you excuse me for a second?" Elena asked Stefan quickly.

She didn't wait around to hear his answer. Instead she went flying after Damon, knowing that she had to talk to him. She finally caught up to him and put her hand on his arm. He whirled around quickly, and she realized she had no idea what to say to him.

"I'm sorry," were the first words that came out of her mouth. "I didn't realize he was your brother."

When Damon had seen Elena talking to Stefan, he'd hadn't understood what it was he was feeling at the time, but he did now. He was jealous. He didn't think he'd ever been jealous before, and he didn't like it. He had no right to be. She wasn't his and she wouldn't ever be. Stefan was right about him; he was following in his father's footsteps, and that was exactly why he stayed the hell away from any woman who wanted to settle down.

The more he thought about it, Stefan was a good choice for Elena. His brother was the typical good guy. He did everything right. Who could be a better choice for Miss Fix-it, than his close to saintly brother? And if she was with his brother, that might be just about the only thing that would stop him making a move on her.

She'd certainly come dressed to attract a man tonight, and even now it was all he could do to stop himself from pulling her into the shadows and taking what he'd been thinking about since he met her. He tried to keep his eyes trained on her face and not on her cleavage, as he made one last ditch attempt to keep her out of harm's way.

"You should go for it," he told her.

"Pardon?"

"Stefan; he's one of the good guys. You should go for it."

She didn't look at all sure about it, and her hesitation that it might upset him only made him want her more.

"You don't mind at all?" she asked him quietly.

He shook his head and swallowed, determined that he at least look like he meant it. "You'll be safe with him. You'll be good together."

"Well…okay."

He could see she still wasn't at all sure about it, but as she walked back to Stefan, Damon told himself that it didn't matter. She was safe now, he'd followed through on his uncharacteristic need to protect someone, and he didn't have to worry about her anymore.

He walked back inside and searched for Katherine.

"Where have you been?" she demanded, when he found her.

"Outside, why?"

"I hope you haven't forgotten about our little arrangement?"

He was confused for a moment. "What, you mean Elena?"

"You were going to seduce her for me, remember?" Katherine asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I remember, Katherine. I'm working on it."

She didn't look like she believed a word of it. Maybe, he wasn't out of the woods quite yet.

* * *

A/N: Put your hand up if you knew it was Stefan that Elena ran into :) Some of you mentioned Stefan in your reviews, and knew Stefan would be at the party. It was always my intention to have them meet there. Please remember I do _not_ write S/E, just D/E, but that doesn't mean we've seen the last of Stefan. Describing Stefan as attractive went against the grain, but I had to remember Elena does find Stefan attractive :/

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it. It's Friday night here, so I'm wishing you all a happy and safe weekend, and I'll see you soon with another update. Thanks for reading and please review.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

After a weekend spent thinking about the handsome Salvatore brothers, Elena was in desperate need of distraction by the time she arrived at work on Monday morning.

"Elijah has called a ten o'clock meeting," Caroline told her, when Elena came back from buying coffee.

Elena stopped to give her a quizzical look, but Caroline just shrugged.

Thinking nothing more of it, Elena walked back to her office, hung her jacket over her chair and checked her watch. She had thirty minutes before she needed to head up to the boardroom. Wanting to get down to business, Elena sat down, pulled out her calendar and tried to concentrate on work, but all too soon her thoughts were pulled back to the Salvatore brothers. Should she date Stefan or not, that was the question she kept coming back to. He had almost all of the qualities on her checklist for the perfect mate, but the idea of dating him when she was experiencing such an intense attraction to his brother felt wrong. At the same time, if she didn't date him, she was back at square one, trying to find a man before her time ran out and she succumbed to the attraction she had to Damon.

She was so busy pondering her dilemma that Caroline had to call her and remind her it was almost ten o'clock. Elena made the meeting by the skin of her teeth, and as she slipped into the overcrowded room she observed that more than half the office had turned up. Silence descended completely as soon as Elijah cleared his throat.

"Rose Cunningham has been let go."

A collective gasp was heard around the room at the news. Silence followed seconds later.

"The Mystic Falls PR handbook is available to each of you online, and I expect every one of you to be well versed on all company policies. Failure to comply with any of the policies outlined in it will result in your immediate dismissal."

Predictably, people started whispering before silence again ensued and Elijah continued.

"Each of you signed an agreement when you began working here. If you need to, please familiarize yourself with the conditions set out for you in the agreement and remember we have zero-tolerance for non-adherence to the rules."

As Elijah dismissed them all from the boardroom, Elena was left wondering just what the veteran publicist had done to be sacked. Fortunately, she didn't have to wonder for long. Five minutes after Elena had returned from the meeting, Caroline stepped into her office and shut the door behind her. Caroline only did that when she had gossip to share with her.

"I was on the third floor, talking to Marci P, when she told me about Rose. Guess why she was fired?" Caroline was whispering, despite the fact that nobody could hear them. Elena thought that Caroline's penchant for water-cooler gossip had certainly paid off considering how excited her assistant seemed.

"Why was she fired?" Elena asked, trying not to smile at her assistant's enthusiasm for sharing the news.

"She was sleeping with Trevor Bingham," Caroline said, her eyes wide.

Elena sat back in her chair. Trevor Bingham had been Rose's client. He'd only been her client for a few months, and Elena was more than a little surprised to hear that Rose had slept with him. From what she knew of the older woman, she was a stickler for the rules.

"Marci said that Rose has been contacting all the local PR companies trying to get another job, but none of them will take her now because they all know she slept with Trevor. Can you imagine that, Elena? She's already got a reputation for sleeping with her client, just hours after she was sacked. How can that happen?"

An awful suspicion arose in Elena's mind. Surely not, was all she could think, but it seemed more than possible. Katherine. Elena shuddered at the thought.

"_She's Katherine. She loves playing games."_

Had Katherine orchestrated Rose's demise? Had she somehow charmed Trevor into sleeping with Rose so that Rose would lose her job? Surely, no-one could be that cold and calculating; or insecure for that matter. Katherine didn't need to take out the competition; she was exceptional at her job.

Elena couldn't pretend to understand what was going through Katherine's mind, but it didn't really matter. What did matter was that what this morning's meeting had been a wake-up call. It was a first hand look at what would happen to her if she didn't take Damon's warning seriously. He'd told her that Katherine was after her, and he'd warned her that she wasn't safe around him. At this point Elena thought she would be incredibly foolish not to take whatever action she could to ensure that what happened to Rose did not happen to her.

With that in mind, she accepted Stefan's invitation to drinks on Friday night when he called that afternoon. She still wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of dating Damon's younger brother, but Damon had told her it was fine. Right now it was in her best interests to take him at his word, and that meant saying yes to Stefan and running like hell from this attraction she felt towards Damon.

* * *

Friday night Damon was at the bar when he felt, rather than saw, Elena walk into the room. He finished his drink without looking at her, and then asked for another drink. He knew she was here on a date with his brother. He hadn't seen Stefan yet, but he wouldn't be far away. His brother would never keep a date waiting.

His plans of getting out of there before he had to speak to either of them were shot to hell when he felt her hovering near his side.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Elena," he acknowledged, still not looking at her.

"I didn't get a chance to talk to you much last night, but I thought it went really well. I thought you were great, Damon."

Yeah, the Oscar Wentworth interview had been good. She'd done well to get him on the show, and he'd enjoyed himself.

"It was fun," he said to her.

"I…I'm assuming you know I'm here to meet Stefan?" she asked him tentatively.

"Yup," Damon said, still not looking at her.

"I know this might be awkward for you, for both of us, but you told me I should go for it and…"

She wanted him to be grateful she took his advice?

"Stefan's here," he told her, relieved that she would finally leave him alone. His brother was already on his way over, having spotted them at the bar. Great, now he had to make nice with both of them.

"You can't ignore me, Damon. I'm your publicist. We need to work together."

She thought he was ignoring her? If only he were able to. That was the whole damn problem. He couldn't stop thinking about her. He was saved from commenting further when Stefan greeted them.

"Brother," he acknowledged.

"I didn't realize you were going to be here tonight." Stefan said to him.

"Meeting Katherine," Damon told him.

Stefan nodded, while Elena muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like, 'wicked spawn on Satan.'

"Well, you kids have fun," Damon said, wishing to God they'd leave him alone and let him get back to drinking.

"Stefan, will you give us a minute. Please," Elena asked his brother.

As soon as Stefan was out of ear shot, Damon looked at her, really looked at her now. She was wearing a grey striped skirt and a black top that was cut low and revealed enough to tantalize. Her lips were painted a dusky pink and her eyes were heavily made up, making them appear incredibly large. She'd taken the art of seduction to a new level, and he felt need course through his veins. Why was it that he couldn't have this woman? Oh, right, he was trying to be the good guy.

"What is it, Elena?" he asked sharply.

"I need to know that everything is okay between us. At least now I'm not a temptation…"

He laughed humorlessly. "Not a temptation?" He slid off the stool, so he was standing close to her; close enough to hear her quick intake of breath, close enough to see her eyes widen as they latched onto his. "You'll always be a temptation, Elena. Just because you've decided to have a drink with my brother doesn't mean I don't want you anymore."

"Oh," her face flushed prettily. "But I thought…now that I'm with Stefan."

"You thought wrong," he told her, "and it's not your only problem either."

"It's not?" she asked, confused.

"No, it's not. Katherine still expects me to seduce you. She expects to see me try."

"What are we going to do?" she asked him anxiously.

"_We_ aren't going to do anything," he ground out. "_You_ are going to stay clear of me while _I_ try and work something out. Got it?"

Elena nodded, turned around and walked back to Stefan on legs that were shaking badly. She was relieved that Stefan had already bought drinks for them both. Without caring what he thought, she picked up the drink he'd bought for her and downed it in one go.

"Elena, are you okay?" Stefan asked her.

"I'm sorry. It's just work…it's been one hell of a week." She gave him a weak smile.

Stefan smiled kindly at her. "You wouldn't be the first person my brother has driven to the bottle," Stefan told her. "Shall I buy you another?"

"Please."

As soon as Stefan left her, her eyes automatically sought out Damon. Thankfully he was sitting down again, facing away from her. She had no idea what to do anymore. Damon wasn't happy with her; his frosty treatment towards her last night had made that all too clear. She couldn't blame him. He wanted her, and she'd gone ahead and started dating his brother to deliberately keep him at bay. Had she really been expecting him to be happy about it? Despite the fact that he'd said it was fine, she knew it wasn't.

Elena watched Katherine walk up and tap Damon on the shoulder. When he turned around he smiled, and Katherine kissed him before sitting down next to him. He handed her a drink, before both of them turned around and looked right at her. Feeling like a deer caught in the spotlight, Elena looked away quickly and saw Stefan coming back with her drink. In that moment she was very grateful to be there with Stefan.

"I told you," Katherine said to Damon. "She hasn't taken her eyes off you since I walked in here. Whatever you're doing is working."

Damon wanted to deny it; wanted to tell Katherine that Elena wasn't the least bit interested in him, but that would be a lie that Katherine would see through. It was unfortunate that Katherine had caught Elena staring at him; the woman could sniff out the truth in any situation. Now he would need to be extra careful, or he'd give the game away, and the moment Katherine suspected Damon wouldn't follow through, she would be looking for another way to get rid of the Elena.

"Just like you said, Kat, she was an easy mark," he told her.

"When do you plan on sealing the deal?"

"I haven't decided," he said casually.

He saw the quick flash of temper in her eyes before she masked it with a flirtatious smile. She used to be able to get anything out of him when she smiled like that. Now, though, he was a wiser man now.

"You're having too much fun," Katherine accused playfully, though Damon realized she wasn't really amused.

"You know I like to play a little, before I go in for the kill," he told her, with a smile that equaled hers.

"I remember. Just don't keep me waiting too long."

Elena was able to keep her eyes off Damon for the rest of the night, but her mind still wandered. Stefan was trying to tell her about his accounting job, but it didn't really hold her interest. Of course the moment Damon came up in the conversation, Elena found herself listening intently.

"Did the two of you get along when you were younger?" Elena asked, thinking there was nothing wrong with finding out a little more about her client, especially since Stefan had brought the subject up.

"When our father walked out, Damon took on the whole Dad bit. He took care of me when Mom was working. At first she was working two jobs to make ends meet, and then it was night school and her day job. Damon looked out for me. He cooked, he cleaned; he stood over me while I did my homework and yelled at me if I failed a test." Stefan smiled, clearly engrossed in his own memories.

"Sounds like you two were close."

"We were."

"What happened?"

"Dad came back. Damon didn't think we should let him back into our lives. There were a lot of arguments; a lot of fighting. Damon thought I should feel the same way he did, but I didn't. I thought Dad had changed and I wanted to get to know him. Damon was right in the end, but by the time Mom and I realized it was too late. Anyway, I don't think Damon ever really forgave either of us for giving Dad another chance."

Her curiosity had been piqued and when there was a slight pause in the conversation, Elena waited a moment, hoping he would continue. Disappointingly, he changed the subject instead.

"So how many clients do you have, Elena. Surely Damon doesn't take up all your time."

Elena told him a little bit about her job, but not too much. After all, Damon had told her men weren't interested in too much information.

The conversation flowed without too many awkward silences, and overall, Elena thought the night went well. Their evening ended with a small kiss upon the lips. Elena noted there were no fireworks, but it was a nice kiss; and if it somehow paled to the attraction she experienced to Damon, she chose not to think about it.

* * *

Sunday morning Elena was called into the office early, after hearing about her newest client's Saturday night activities. It seemed that Damon had been involved in a bar brawl with Mason Lockwood two towns over. The fact that Mason Lockwood was an actor on the teen drama, _The Werewolf Diaries_, meant the media were very interested in the whys and hows of the altercation. Fortunately no arrests were made, but the situation was still in need of damage control.

She tried desperately to contact Damon during the morning, needing to clarify information and talk to him about a statement, but he wouldn't answer his phone. By the time midday rolled around, she was feeling more than a little frustrated. After the tenth unanswered call to her client, she was officially in a bad mood. She knew he didn't want to hear from her, but this was important. Deciding the only way she was going to get answers was by seeing him in person, she got in her car and drove out to the mansion. She always wanted the best for her clients, and just because things were a little tense between them; okay, a lot tense between them, didn't mean she was going to let him mess up his career. It was a common misconception that all publicity was good publicity, and if he wanted his own radio show, he would need to be more careful than this. His reputation for womanizing and drinking helped the sale of his books somewhat, but public fighting would hinder, not help his cause.

After several minutes of knocking and waiting at his front door, Elena was becoming impatient. She could hear music coming from inside the house, so she knew he was home. She went around the back and knocked loudly on the glass.

"I know you're in there, Damon."

Elena waited, but she still heard nothing.

"I'm not going anywhere," she yelled, before banging on the glass with her fist.

She continued to knock, until she saw him through the glass. Some of her confidence faded as he opened the door; his hair was messy, as if he'd been lying down, and he was only wearing jeans.

"You don't take a hint do you?" he asked her.

"No," she said, walking past him, not looking at him.

She was absolutely the last person Damon wanted to see. She'd effectively turned his life into some kind of a balancing act as he tried to protect her, and today he was in no mood to have to watch himself around her.

"By all means, come right in."

"Do you know how I've spent my Sunday morning, Damon? I've been absolutely…You're hurt."

He didn't want her here, and he didn't want her concern. She was the reason he was tied up in knots. Seeing Stefan and Elena together at the house party had been one thing, but seeing them together on a date had been that much worse. Between the lust he was trying not to act on, the jealousy he was experiencing, and not having a clue what to do about Katherine, he was in a right state. When he'd run into Mason, hitting him had seemed like a good way to blow off some steam. The guy didn't like him, and since Damon had found out that Katherine had been screwing him and Mason at the same time, the feeling was mutual. It had taken less than five minutes for insults to be exchanged, and the first punch thrown.

"You should see the other guy," Damon said to her.

He stood still as she walked up to him to examine his injuries, and sucked in a breath as she softly ran her fingertips over the bruising on his ribs.

"Damon, these are really serious. Have you been to the hospital?"

She was standing close enough for him to smell her shampoo; it was something floral and fruity and highly appealing, and he wanted nothing more than to bury his nose in her hair and inhale more deeply.

"I'm fine. I have a perfectly good pain killer right here," he told her, picking up the bottle of bourbon he'd put down before he'd opened the door, and walking away from her.

Her gentle touch and proximity were playing havoc with his self control, and his irritation at having to try and restrain himself from taking what he wanted from her was growing with every second that passed.

She followed him into the parlor, and he watched as her eyes fell upon the empty bottles scattered around the room.

"Just how many pain killers have you gone through this morning?" she asked him.

"Not enough," he told her, trying not to wince as he lay back down on the couch.

When she disappeared, he hoped she'd finally taken the hint and left him alone, but instead she just returned with what looked like a packet from the freezer, and a towel.

"You don't have an icepack so this will have to do."

Great, now she wanted to play nurse. He watched her wrap up the frozen packet in the towel and then she hovered over him, pressing the ice against his ribs. He tried not to flinch as she positioned it where the most bruising was. He expected her to leave it there and walk away. She didn't. Instead she perched on the couch, looked at her watch, and kept her hand held firmly over the makeshift icepack.

Elena was aware of him watching her, and she tried not to let it make her feel uncomfortable. She hadn't had time to do more than shower, throw on some casual clothes, and apply a bit of mascara and eyeliner before she walked out the door this morning. Making house visits to her clients in her jeans and sweater was not something she would normally do, but it was important she get a handle on the situation immediately and that meant speaking to the man next to her. Now, she wanted nothing more than to talk to him quickly and leave, but he was obviously in pain, and she couldn't walk away when he was hurting; even if it was self-inflicted.

In an effort to avoid eye contact with him, she found her gaze wandering down to his chest. Even with the bruising, she could see it was a magnificent chest. It had been far too long since she'd seen a man without his shirt on, let alone touched one intimately, and it was only too tempting to reach out and run her hands over the smooth expanse of flesh above his waist. Realizing too late that she should never have sat this close to him, she went to stand up.

"You know, I think I'm going to leave this with you and…" she trailed off as his eyes met hers.

Damon knew in that moment exactly what needed to happen here; exactly what the answer was to all of their problems. He'd been trying to fight it, but fighting it was not the answer. They needed to give in; just once. Just once for both of them would knock this thing out of their systems and let them get on with their lives without this thing hanging over their heads. Would she go for it? If not he'd just have to convince her.

"We need to sleep together, Elena," he told her, "it's the only way to get past _this_."

* * *

A/N: Wishing you all a happy and safe weekend. Thanks for reading, and please review.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Firstly, thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited and subscribed to the story. I have to say the reviews for the last chapter kept me giggling for a while. I don't normally leave cliffhangers like that, and I know I've made you wait a week, but this chapter took me a little while to write. That said, I enjoyed every moment of writing it. I'm really happy with what I've got here and I hope you all like it too.

Picking up where chapter six left off...

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Damon watched with some amusement as Elena shot off the couch so fast she almost tripped over her feet.

"You…you can't be serious," she said to him, when she turned around to face him again.

The heat in his eyes left Elena with no doubt that he was absolutely serious, and her traitorous body was already reacting, telling her that it wholeheartedly approved of the idea.

"Oh, but I am," he told her, sitting up, holding the icepack against his ribs. "Next week I go on tour, and as far as I know you're coming with me. Four weeks of sharing hotels, Elena; twenty-eight days and nights of us being together, trying not to think about what it is we both want to do. We need to take the edge off this thing, or it's going to end badly."

"End badly?"

The predatory look that she had once seen on his face when he talked about Caroline was now in place again, but this time it was aimed at her. Elena tried to breathe, but it felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. He put the icepack down and stood up. Elena stood glued to the spot, as he slowly moved towards her.

"You want it," he said, taking a step. "I want it," he said, taking another step.

Elena shook her head, and swallowed. "You can't…I won't…" she trailed off as he came to a stop right in front of her.

"I won't be able to keep my hands off you, Elena."

"You have to fight it," she said breathlessly.

"I can't," he told her, cupping her face between his hands. "I want you too much."

"No, Damon, don't…"

Damon stopped her from protesting further by lowering his mouth to hers.

She needed to push him away; this should not be happening. He was her client and this was wrong, wrong, wrong. Oh, but then why did it feel so good? She could taste the bourbon on him, but instead of finding it repulsive, she found it intoxicating in every sense of the word. It had been a while since she'd been kissed by a man, but she didn't remember it ever feeling this good before. The hands that were braced on his chest should push him away, but instead they were delighting in finally being able to run over his naked torso. His tongue demanded entry to her mouth, and she opened for him, shivering with pleasure as he slid his tongue against hers. Instinctively, Elena wrapped her arms around his neck. She heard a noise, and it took her a moment to realize that the needy sound had come from _her_. Damon moaned in response and pulled her closer to him, so she could feel every inch of him pressed against her.

Damon had only intended to persuade her that he was right; to prove to her that their attraction was too much to fight, however, as soon as his lips had touched hers, the desire he'd been suppressing took over. He had known all along that she would be responsive; but the woman in his arms felt and tasted so good he couldn't pull back from her. He stopped thinking completely; the need to have her overwhelming all logic and thought. Damon was in the middle of calculating which surface he could lay her on, and how quickly he could get her out of her clothes, when she yanked her mouth away from his.

"No, Damon. I can't," she told him. "It will cost me my job."

Elena had felt herself being walked towards the couch when her common sense had finally kicked in. Was she really about to have sex with her client, in his living room? Was she really about to throw away her career to have sex with this man? It would probably be the best sex of her life, but that would be all it was – sex.

"I'm not going to tell anyone, Elena."

"What about Katherine? You're in some kind of relationship with her. How can I possibly trust what you say?"

Damon was reeling. She was saying no? After that kiss, she was saying no? His body felt as if it had been hotwired, and he couldn't shut the engine off. There was only one way a kiss like that should end, and it wasn't with her saying no. He tried to think, but there wasn't much blood going to the head that needed to think right now.

"I've been honest with you. _I_ was the one who told you about Katherine in the first place."

"How do I know that wasn't just a ploy to get me into bed?"

Damon frowned. If he said he wouldn't tell Katherine, then he wouldn't tell Katherine. Yeah, but she didn't know that. He'd been telling her to stay away from him; telling her he was a threat to her, and now he just expected her to turn around and accept that they should throw all caution to the wind and sleep together. He would just have to make her believe he could be trusted, because the truth was, he had to have her.

"You can trust me. In fact I think sleeping together will help this whole situation with Katherine."

"Why on earth would you say that?"

"Katherine expects me to seduce you. She knows that I want you, and she knows you're attracted to me…"

"How…?"

"Because she knows these things _and_ because she caught you watching me at the bar the other night." He ignored the way she blushed, and continued on. "If we sleep together, it'll kill the attraction, or at least make it manageable."

"But she still wants to see you seduce me."

"So, we'll let her see me trying. We'll both be able to resist, though," he said, with a smirk, "because we'll have already given in once and it will be out of our systems. Win-win."

Win-win was not exactly how Elena would put it. She'd never been one for gambling, especially with things that were important, like her job. Damon had been honest with her to the best of her knowledge, even brutally honest at times, but she couldn't afford to be wrong about him.

"Even if what you say is the truth, you're my client. I can't complicate our relationship by sleeping with you."

"Sleeping together once isn't going to complicate things; it will just help ease the tension so you can do your job, and I can stop thinking about seducing you. Do you know what turns me on, Elena?"

She shook her head, and swallowed nervously, watching him move towards her once again.

"A good chase," he whispered in her ear. "Take the chase out of it, and say yes to me. Sleep with me just once, you won't regret it."

Her body which had been humming with the aftershocks of their kiss was now burning with desire all over again. It would be insane to agree with him, right? But the question was, if she said no, how long could she resist him for? Four weeks of sharing hotels; twenty-eight days and nights of them being together, did she have any hope at all?

"And if I say yes?" she asked him thickly.

He was still standing so close to her, and she was finding it difficult to think.

"Are you saying yes, Elena?"

"I…I don't know. Katherine…"

"Will never know. It will be our little secret."

This could only end badly. She felt as if she were trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea. If she didn't sleep with him, things would continue to be awkward between them, and tense. He'd told her he couldn't keep his hands off her, and she could barely concentrate on anything but sex when he was in the room with her. And if she did sleep with him, things could still end up awkward, and she could lose her job.

Katherine was more than likely to find out, somehow. Just thinking about the other woman had Elena looking around the room suspiciously. Of course, Elena knew Katherine wasn't hiding in a cupboard, ready to pounce on her the moment she said yes, but the fear and slight paranoia were there anyway.

"Not here, and not now," she told him.

"Name your time and place," he said huskily.

"Tomorrow week; first night on tour," she said.

Damon wanted her now, not in a week's time; his body was still stirred by her closeness to him, but he would wait for her. The reason he wanted her so much had to be tied to the fact that he'd been trying to resist her. Now that she was giving into him, hopefully he'd be able to sleep with her and stop obsessing. This would be one hell of a long week, but she was worth the wait. Besides, his injuries would be all healed by then, and he wouldn't have to hold back.

"My room or yours?" he said with a devilish smile.

Elena's heart, which had never quite returned to its resting rate after his kiss, was suddenly racing again. Had she really just told her client she'd sleep with him on his book tour?

"Ah, I believe the finer details can be worked out later."

Noticing her hands were shaking slightly, she walked to the couch and picked up the icepack and walked with it back to the kitchen. She was unaware he had followed her until she turned around from the freezer, and found him right behind her. She needed something to do to calm her frazzled nerves.

"Coffee?"

Damon pointed to the cupboard above her. "Help yourself."

Once she had a steaming cup of coffee in her hands, she reminded herself again why she was there. "Want to tell me about your run-in with Mason Lockwood last night?"

Damon walked away from her. "Nope."

She followed him into the parlor.

"Who started it?"

"I don't remember."

"You don't remember?"

"That's what I said."

"Damon,"

"Elena,"

"Who threw the first punch?"

"He did."

"Why?"

"Because Mason Lockwood is a dick," Damon said, as if it was common knowledge and she should already understand this as 'fact'.

"Did you provoke him?"

"Define provoke."

"Did you converse with him?"

"Did I have a conversation with him? No."

"Damon…"

"I might have mentioned that that Edward Cullen guy could kick his ass on, 'The Werewolf Diaries."

"I didn't realize you were a Twilight fan."

"I'm not a twilight fan," Damon said, clearly disgusted by the thought.

Elena tried to hide her smile. "Of course not; that would be preposterous."

He did not look amused. "The guy sparkles; vampires don't sparkle."

"Obviously this is something you feel quite passionately about, so why did you make the comment to Mason in the first place?"

"Because I knew it would piss him off."

"And the reason you wanted to piss him off was…?"

Damon glared at her; she'd effectively manoeuvred him into talking about Mason, when he'd had absolutely no intention of saying a damn word. He doubted she'd like it if he told her it was his sexual frustration and jealousy over her that had sent him looking for a fight.

"We both know Katherine."

"Oh,"

Elena didn't know what else to say. They'd been fighting over Katherine? Hearing the other woman's name was a cold reminder that she'd not only agreed to go to bed with her client, but that effectively she would be sleeping with her evil colleague's boyfriend. Despite the fact that Damon and Katherine had some kind of perturbing open relationship, he obviously cared about her.

Damon could tell straight away what Elena was thinking. "It's not what you think."

"What am I thinking, Damon?"

"You think Mason and I were fighting about Katherine."

"You weren't?"

"No. I was in a bad mood. I was looking for a fight; Mason just happened to be there."

"And you both know Katherine how?"

"We were seeing her at the same time…a while ago."

"But that wasn't the reason you argued."

"It's the reason Katherine and I broke up, but not the reason Mason and I were fighting."

"So what, you were just fighting with Mason for the hell of it then?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," he said casually.

Elena shook her head. "You do know that kind of behavior won't…"

"Save the lecture, Elena. You're my publicist; your job is to make this go away, not tell me what I should or shouldn't do."

Elena saw red, but did not say anything. When she'd arrived she'd had every intention of telling him off, but she had a feeling she would need to pick her battles with this client. His arrogant and reckless ass would probably land him in more hot water and she would save her yelling for when it truly mattered. The fact that it had been personal between him and Mason could be spun in their favor, and she could fix things easily enough. Elena tried not to think about Katherine's part in it all as she downed the last mouthful of her coffee, but the subject of Katherine left a bad taste in her mouth. She walked out to the kitchen to rinse her cup.

Damon knew that hadn't gone well as he watched Elena walk back into the kitchen. She wasn't impressed by his fight with Mason, or the fact that Katherine's name had come up. That was too bad; he fought, he drank and he dated Katherine, and he didn't owe her an explanation for any of it. Yet he'd wanted to give her one. He'd wanted to justify his fight to her, and he'd wanted to explain why he was with Katherine.

"So," she said when she walked back into the room. "I have all the information I need and I should head off."

"Thanks for the ah…first aid." He gave her a lopsided grin.

"You should probably ice it again," She took her car keys out of her pocket.

"I'll see you on Thursday?" he asked her.

"You will. The launch starts at eight pm sharp."

"In other words don't be late?"

"You got it." She gave him a small smile before heading out the same door she came in.

Elena walked out the door, feeling as if she'd just signed her own death warrant. For one night with Damon, she would most likely lose her job. Just once he'd said; it would be their little secret, and then it would be back to business. She could only hope he was right.

* * *

The next week held a couple of surprises for Elena. Wednesday morning, she was in the coffee shop near work when she saw a familiar person sitting down, reading a newspaper. Despite the fact that Elena felt somewhat awkward about it, she didn't really want to leave the shop without saying something. After all, the other woman had always been pleasant to her, and helped her when she needed it. She walked over to the table once she had her coffee.

"Rose, hi."

"Elena, what are you doing here? Sorry, stupid question. You come here every morning to buy coffee." Rose put down her paper.

"Yeah, morning dose of caffeine number three." After an awkward moment, Elena added "Hey, I was sorry to hear about…you know."

"Thank you."

"Are you working somewhere else?"

"No."

After several minutes of awkward conversation in which Elena ascertained that Rose was meeting friends, Elena said goodbye. "Well, I should get going."

"Nice to see you again, Elena."

"You too."

"Oh, and Elena," Rose called after her.

Elena, who had already been walking away, turned around again.

"Yes."

"Be careful."

"Be careful?"

"Sorry, I know that sounds cryptic, just be careful, okay."

If those words weren't enough to worry her, Elena saw Lexie Branson and Anna Martin on her way out the door. The two of them were laughing together and talking and they didn't see her, but Elena watched from outside as the two women joined Rose. Now that was interesting. All three women had been fired for sleeping with clients. Anna had been gone for almost a year, and Lexie had been let go six months before that. Why were the three of them socializing together? They had never been close at work. No, something was definitely going on. Elena tried to push their meeting out of her head, but as the day wore on she couldn't help but wonder if she too would be joining them in the ranks of the departed from Mystic Falls PR soon enough.

* * *

Thursday night was the big kick-off to Damon's book tour. Mystic Falls PR did it for all of their clients; a tasteful party to farewell their clients before big events like publicity tours. It was just members of the press, partners and people from the firm, and normally Elena looked forward to these events, but the thought of seeing Damon again made her anxious. Now that she'd said she'd sleep with him, she just wanted to get it over and done with.

Elena donned her little black dress and was there just before eight as requested. She hoped Damon wouldn't be late. She was in luck; he arrived right at eight on the dot. He was wearing a suit, and she was completely unprepared for how good he looked in one. She tried not to stare as he walked in with Katherine. Of course he would be there with Katherine. They were, after all, an item. Elena wished she'd brought a date, but she'd called things off with Stefan. She couldn't date Stefan when she was planning on sleeping with Damon.

Elena grabbed a glass of champagne before she walked over to greet Damon and Katherine. She was as brief as possible, the peck she gave Damon on the cheek, making her tingle from head to foot. Her lack of eye contact and brief greeting did not go unnoticed by her client, judging by his raised eyebrow, but just seeing him reminded her of what they would be doing in just a few nights. Elena introduced him to a few members of the press before she excused herself and went to mingle. She would have much preferred to head for the shadows and drink a bottle or two of tequila, but she had a job to do and she would do it.

Elena was talking to Georgia Bell from the _Mystic Falls Tribune_ for some time when the other woman digressed and started talking about her wedding plans. Elena could care less about whether the woman should have an outdoor wedding, or an indoor wedding, but at least it kept Elena busy doing little. She nodded and smiled in the right places and kept drinking.

"Oh, here comes my fiancé now."

Elena almost fell over when she saw Matt walking towards her; the very same Matt who had once been her fiancé.

"Elena," Matt greeted her with a warm hug and kiss on the cheek. "I see you've met Georgia."

So he had moved on and found someone who satisfied him. Obviously the pretty writer from The Tribune was not boring or unimaginative in bed.

"You two know each other?" Georgia asked.

"Yes," Elena said.

"Elena and I went to college together."

Their engagement and relationship didn't even warrant a mention, obviously.

"Really, how nice. It's wonderful when you run into old friends isn't it?" Georgia said conversationally, before turning to Matt. "Elena represents Damon."

"Georgia is a big fan of Damon's, aren't you Darling?"

"His books are just fabulous; but I don't need to tell you that, Elena. They've certainly helped me with this one." She kissed Matt passionately on the lips and the noise was enough to turn Elena's stomach. It was around the time she noticed her glass was empty.

"You wouldn't mind introducing them, would you Elena? Favor for an old friend."

"I'd be delighted," Elena said, resisting the urge to tell them both to go to hell.

Damon could see Elena was uncomfortable talking to the couple she was with, by the way she avoided eye contact with them and tapped her empty champagne flute. He'd watched her embrace the man, so she knew him, but she did not look happy. Damon looked around for Katherine; she was in the corner of the room talking to Elijah. Despite the fact that Elena clearly wanted to avoid him, he decided she could use a distraction. He hesitated for only a moment before moving across the room to his publicist, stopping only to pluck a glass of champagne off a passing tray on his way.

He knew something was wrong when Elena looked relieved to see him, and her eyes lit up when she noticed he had champagne. What he hadn't seen from across the room was how pale she was.

"Damon, this is Georgia Bell, she works for the Mystic Falls Tribune."

"I was just telling Elena how much I love your books, Damon, but I'm sure you hear that all the time."

"I never get sick of hearing it though."

Georgia laughed. "I hear you head off on tour on Monday?"

Damon felt Elena tense beside him and knew she was thinking about Monday night.

"I'm looking forward to it," he said softly, giving Elena a sideways look.

When he saw her blush he knew she understood his double meaning. The pink was far better than the lack of color that had been there a moment ago.

"Sorry, I don't think we've been introduced," Damon said to the man standing beside Georgia. He had no real interest in him other than the fact that he was most likely the reason Elena had been so pale in the first place.

"Sorry," Elena said. "This is Matthew Donovan, Georgia's fiancé."

"Your books are a great service to all us men," Matthew said to him.

Damon smiled tightly as he watched Elena down half of her champagne in one go. Something was going on here. He still hadn't figured out what when Georgia spoke again.

"Matt and I have just set a wedding date. You know, you should come to the wedding Elena. Elena and Matt went to college together," Georgia explained to him. "It's such a small world isn't it?"

"Indeed," Damon returned.

Judging by the strained smiles on both Matt and Elena's face right now, the two had known each other quite well in college. So, they had been lovers. Georgia seemed completely oblivious to the fact. Damon didn't think bumping into an ex-lover was a big deal, but from the way Elena had paled again, he'd bet they'd been more than lovers. It had been serious between the two of them. Did she still hold a torch for this guy? Had he broken her heart? Was he the reason she'd been out of the game for so long?

The thought that this guy had hurt her, made him want to throw a protective arm around Elena before sinking his knuckles into the other guy's face, making Damon wonder just what the hell was going on with him. He didn't get involved; he made it his business not to get involved, but this woman made him want to rescue her, protect her and take care of her. He didn't understand why this damsel in distress was getting to him so much. Jealousy that she might sleep with his brother was one thing, but to feel the same emotion because she may or may not care about this other guy made him think he was getting in too deep.

He couldn't let himself get in any deeper. Hadn't he heard time and again, while growing up, that the Salvatore men ruined women's lives? His father, his grandfather, his uncle; every single one of them had screwed over the women they'd been involved with. The only Salvatore who stood a chance of having a successful relationship was his brother. Somehow Stefan's sheer willingness to believe he could be different set him apart. Damon didn't know yet if Stefan's complete denial was genius or utter stupidity.

Either way, Damon knew that he was his father's son. If he hadn't believed it before, he certainly believed it after what happened with Lucy. He understood himself well enough to minimize the damage by not getting involved. It was the reason Katherine had appealed to him so much. He'd recognized something of a kindred spirit in her self-contained attitude and the fact that she didn't get involved. Falling for her though had been stupid; people like them didn't live happily ever after.

He couldn't change. He was who he was, and he wouldn't mess up Elena's life, no matter how much he liked her. So he would sleep with Elena; he would help her win her promotion, he would protect her from Katherine, and then he was done.

"Well, Damon, it was nice to meet you. Don't make me wait too long to read your next book," Georgia said to him.

He'd zoned out of the conversation and now Matt and Georgia were leaving. Damon said goodbye to them and then it was just him and Elena left standing there together.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Elena asked him politely.

"The firm knows how to throw a party," he said to her.

"They do," she acknowledged, with a smile.

It was crazy how her smile made him want to smile. Avoiding her would be a good move for him. Pity he wouldn't have any chance of doing that while he was on tour. Once he slept with her, maybe he would be able to distance himself better, because right now all he wanted to do was ask her about Matt, ask her if she was okay, and tell her how beautiful she looked tonight.

"Well, I should go find Katherine," he said to her instead.

He watched her smile disappear, and called himself every name under the sun for saying the wrong thing. "You didn't bring Stefan?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "It didn't seem right to take things any further when we're planning on…"

She didn't finish her sentence, and she didn't need to. Of course she'd ended things with his brother. He was saved from making what would most likely be another stupid remark by Katherine's appearance at his side.

"Elena, shouldn't you be supervising the clean-up crew?"

Elena sighed inwardly. Katherine knew very well that supervising the clean-up crew was not her job, but she took every opportunity to demean her. Elena smiled sweetly at the other woman.

"Now Katherine, you know that doesn't fall under my job description. It's not the first time you've made that mistake either. Shall I have a copy of my job description sent up for you tomorrow morning, so you don't make that mistake again?"

Katherine sneered at her and Elena knew Katherine would make her pay for her comment tomorrow. Pointing out a colleague's mistake in front of a client was completely unprofessional, not to mention the fact that this client happened to be partnered with her colleague, however as she watched Damon try to keep the smirk off his face, Elena decided that it had been worth it.

"Damon, I'll call you in the next few days to finalize the departure details on Monday."

"Monday can't come soon enough, Elena," he said to her, before leaning in and kissing her on the cheek. It wasn't a quick peck either.

Elena nearly died on the spot, but Katherine's glare was enough to get her moving. With a quick smile in their general direction, Elena left them alone.

Elena drove home with a mental image of her and Damon in bed together. No doubt that was exactly what he had intended his parting comment to do. Strangely, the knot of dread in her stomach that had been there since she'd agreed to go to bed with him was turning into something resembling sweet anticipation. If she was going to go to bed with him, she was going to enjoy it. She'd wanted to sleep with a bad boy anyway, and she could learn a few tricks off him for her next relationship. She would sleep with Damon, enjoy him, and then it would be back to business. Everything was going to be just fine.

* * *

A/N: So, I'm really happy with where these characters are at the moment, and thoroughly enjoying writing this story for them.

It's Friday again, so I'll wish you all a happy and safe weekend. Thanks for reading and please review.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks for your patience. I would have liked to have had this up yesterday, but my son has been sick, I've had a bad week, and I just couldn't manage it. I also really didn't want to rush this chapter.

Anyway, here is chapter 8; I hope it lives up to expectations.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

While her flight to Chicago had been delayed by almost an hour; Damon's flight was almost on time, arriving only ten minutes later than scheduled. The plan was that he would check into their hotel and meet her at the bookstore. The moment he walked into the store, she knew it. His gaze found her straight away, and they locked eyes for a moment before he returned his attention to the blonde who had walked in with him. She told herself she wasn't jealous when she saw the woman give him a come hither smile and slip something into his pocket.

As soon as the blonde left his side, she approached him. He was clean shaven, and she guessed he had not long stepped out of the shower. He smelt fresh and clean, with just a hint of the cologne that she was used to smelling on him. He wore his usual attire but had replaced his t-shirt with a black dress shirt.

"How was your flight?" she asked him, once she'd introduced him to Red, the bookstore owner.

The only thing Damon wanted to talk about right now was what time tonight they could start becoming better acquainted. He didn't know how he would make it through the next few hours without having her. He hated waiting; detested the fact that he'd had to wait for the past few days for tonight. He wanted her so much that none of the numerous offers for casual sex he'd had over the weekend had appealed to him at all.

"Fine. Yours?"

"Caught up on some reading."

"What time do we finish up here?" he asked her.

"We should be done by five thirty."

"We should grab a drink afterward."

"You don't waste time, do you?"

"I don't waste time pretending that I don't want something."

No, he clearly didn't, thought Elena. He wasn't even suggesting dinner, but then what had she expected? This wasn't a date.

"A drink sounds good." She'd need one for courage anyway. "What time?"

"Eight o'clock, in the bar downstairs."

"Fine," she said, with a nod.

Just like that, the plans were made. Elena wondered whether they should have organized whose room, what position and the duration time they would be at it, since they'd just about planned everything else. No, there was definitely nothing romantic or spontaneous about what they were doing. At least she knew where she stood with him. When one of the staff approached her with a question, Elena snapped out of her lust addled brain and remembered what she was here for.

The book signing went well. Red was more than happy with the way things went, and Elena noticed that Damon's books marched off the shelves. The women literally threw themselves at him, and he flirted back with them easily. It sold books, and as his publicist that made her happy. Occasionally he would look up from what he was doing or who he was talking to, and look right at her; a look that told her he was thinking about tonight. Every time they locked eyes it made breathing just a little bit more difficult.

By the time they finished at the book store, she felt like she was on a knife edge. She could barely string more than two words together while they shared a car back to the hotel. As they rode the elevator up to their rooms, she couldn't stop thinking that the next time they stepped into the elevator together, it would be to go and do _it_.

"So," she said, trying not to let the nerves get the better of her. "Your room or mine?"

"Mine," he said to her. "I have the better view."

Elena couldn't deny that, though she would not be sticking around long enough to admire it. Their hot hotel sex would be over soon enough, and then she would be forced to do the walk of shame back to her room. She didn't have time to say anything more, though, because the elevator arrived at her floor.

"See you in an hour or two," she said to him, before walking out of the elevator.

She ordered a sandwich from room service, but was unable to eat much of it. After she tossed the sandwich in the trash, she decided to take a bath. The bath eased her tense shoulder muscles, and when she emerged, she certainly felt more relaxed than she had before it. She decided on a black lace bra and knicker set she'd bought over the weekend, and just to boost her confidence she added lacy top thigh high stockings to the outfit. Once she'd put on her short black skirt and her tight fitting emerald top, she reapplied her make-up and sprayed on perfume.

She walked into the bar at five minutes past eight and spotted Damon there, being hit on by a woman who looked like she could be in her fifties. The woman's top was so tight that Elena worried everything might spring free at any given moment. Fearing for Damon's safety, after all she didn't want her best client to be hit in the face with anyone's breasts but hers tonight, she walked straight up to him, slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips.

He only hesitated for a moment, before kissing her back with such hunger, it left her wanting to skip drinks altogether. Once they pulled apart, she noticed the woman had disappeared. Damon smirked at her. She shrugged.

"Sorry I'm late."

"Apology accepted. Buy you a drink?"

She smiled at him, "Sure."

"Name your poison."

"Tequila," she told him.

"Shot?"

"Sunrise."

He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. When their drinks arrived, Damon raised his. "To mixing business with pleasure."

After two more drinks, Damon noticed Elena was starting to smile a little. She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman in the room. He thought she would be ready for a change of location when she finished the drink she was on, but when she mentioned something about her college days, he saw an opportunity to ask her about her old flame.

"That's where you met your friend Matt, right?"

"We were more than friends, Damon. We were engaged."

The answer was so quick that he wondered whether she meant to tell him that at all. He knew they'd been lovers, but he'd never considered that she was going to marry the guy.

"Engaged," he repeated.

She smiled at him. "For about a year."

"What happened?" He was curious as hell for some reason.

She looked at him, as if deciding how much to say. "He decided…it just wasn't going to work between us."

"He decided?"

"He wanted something…something he thought I was lacking."

Seriously, this guy Matt was lacking. Whatever had happened between them, Damon could see Elena blamed herself entirely. She looked so damn sad right now; probably thinking about Matt finding whatever it was she 'lacked' with, Georgia. If Elena still loved Matt, their reunion would have hurt her deeply, and Damon found himself feeling angry and frustrated; angry that he couldn't tell Matt that he was a moron for hurting this woman, and frustrated because he didn't want her to be sad over this guy. He couldn't change what had happened, but he could make her feel good, at least for a short while.

"Let's go," he said to her.

"Where are we going?" she asked him.

"Where do you think?"

She looked at him now, finally understanding. "Oh, right."

Heat seared through her as he put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her out of the bar. Despite the two drinks she'd had, her knees still wobbled slightly as they waited for the elevator.

As soon as the elevator doors closed behind them, he trapped her between the elevator wall and his body, and kissed her. His kiss wasn't soft or gentle; it was hot and hungry, and Elena couldn't seem to get enough. His hands skimmed down her sides and cupped her bottom, pulling her against his body so she could feel how hard he was. She was lost completely, drowning in sensations as he pressed hot kisses against her mouth, her face and her jaw, before nuzzling his face in her neck and kissing her there. When his hands slipped underneath her skirt, she murmured her approval, and when his hands found the lace top stockings she was wearing, he emitted a low growl that sent a rush of wet heat to her aching core. She trembled slightly and clung to him as his hands caressed her bare thighs.

"These for me?" he rasped, between kisses; his fingers tracing patterns along the tops of her thighs, edging closer and closer to where she wanted him to touch her.

The ding of the elevator made them both turn and look at the numbers above the door. It wasn't his floor. As the doors slid open, he grabbed her by the hips and turned her so that the back of her was pressed to his front. Another couple, clearly engrossed in their own conversation, stepped into the lift, in front of them, and the doors closed again. Feeling slightly naughty, she wiggled her backside against him. She felt Damon's hands tighten on her hips, and heard him growl softly.

"I should take you right here," he whispered in her ear, making her gasp.

One of his hands reached under her skirt again, and she bit her lip, trying not to moan as his hand stroked her through the wet lacy material of her underwear. She was unable to stop a small noise from escaping, however, when his fingers slid inside her panties and came into direct contact with her heated center. Fortunately the other couple were too busy laughing to notice. His free arm came around to encircle her waist, holding her against him while he played with her. He kissed and nibbled her neck as his thumb rubbed her clit. She felt her whole body tense with the anticipation of release. At the exact moment she reached climax, they arrived on Damon's floor. The ding of the elevator only partially covered her cry, and the other couple turned to look at them.

"Too much excitement," he told them quickly. Damon walked them out, one arm still around her waist. Elena was trembling so much she needed the support just to make it out of the elevator.

The walk from the elevator to his room was the most uncomfortable walk of Damon's life. He was unbearably hard. When they reached his room, she leaned against the wall while he fumbled to get his card out and unlock the door. As soon as the door was thrown open, he pulled her into the room, his hands diving into her hair, dragging her mouth back to his as he kicked the door shut with his boot. He'd left a lamp on in the room so he'd be able to see what he was doing. He shrugged out of his jacket and got rid of his shirt, while she pulled her top over her head, and unzipped her skirt.

Elena stood before him in her bra, stockings and panties. Her whole body flushed under his gaze. He reached for her, and had her bra off before she could blink. Then his mouth and his tongue, and his hands were on her. She cried out as he gently tugged on her nipple with his teeth, and pushed her panties down her legs. She undid his belt buckle before working to free him from the jeans and boxers he was wearing. When she touched him, he groaned and thrust into her hand.

It was a slippery slope for Damon when he felt her hand around his shaft. He picked her up with one arm and deposited her on the chest of drawers in the room where he'd put some condoms. The way she looked in her thigh high stockings, spread before him on his drawers, made his mouth dry. With her cheeks hot and flushed; her eyes bright and wide, and her lips pink and swollen from his kisses, he wondered how long he could possibly last, once he was inside her.

The feel of the cool wood underneath her backside heightened her arousal. When Damon nipped and licked her thigh above the lace of her stocking, she almost jumped out of her skin. Pressing her back into the wall, she angled her hips up, and tried not to scream when he started to lap at her with his tongue. She gripped the edge of the drawers as he pushed her closer and closer to the edge.

"God Damon! Yes," she cried out as she hurtled over the edge.

Damon grabbed a condom from where it sat beside her, ripped the packet open, and sheathed himself within seconds before lifting her off the dresser.

"Wrap your legs around my waist," he ordered.

Elena did as she was told, feeling his erection underneath her as he walked them the few feet to the bed. Once she was lying down, he positioned himself quickly. The air left her lungs in a rush as she felt him thrust into her, joining his body with hers; her inner muscles clenching around him.

"Yes," she said to him. "God, yes."

"Elena," he said tightly, "how long has it been for you?"

Elena could barely comprehend what he was asking or why he was asking. She looked into his eyes, but her brain felt like it had melted from the heat between them. All she knew was that he was inside her and she needed him to move.

"I don't know…two, maybe three years," she whispered, hoping he would shut up and do her. Who could think at a time like this? "Please, Damon, don't stop," she pleaded, moving her hips, very much enjoying the feeling of being filled by him.

Damon wasn't any more capable of stopping this than he was of choosing to draw his last breath; but he'd had no idea that it had been that long for her. She was so incredibly tight around him, and when she moved like that, his control was pushed to the limit. The tension that had been building in him since he first saw her had to be released.

"Relax," he said roughly, "I'm not stopping."

Elena would have sighed with relief if she wasn't so busy holding onto him for dear life as he started to move inside her. He started off slowly, but his pace built quickly, leaving her breathless and panting from the pleasure he was bringing her body.

"Feels so good," she moaned.

Damon did his best to make it last for as long as he could, but when he felt her start to climax around him, he couldn't hold back any longer.

"Elena," he called, as his body found the release it had been craving all day.

Once he felt he could move again, he rolled off her, and walked into the bathroom to dispose of the condom. When he walked back out again, he found Elena getting dressed. She looked at him for a moment, and smiled shyly, before she slid her skirt up her legs and zipped herself up. As he moved to put his jeans on, he noticed she'd left her underwear on the floor.

Elena didn't know quite what to say to him as the two of them stood there looking at each other. What was the etiquette after a once off like that? 'Katherine is a lucky woman,' didn't seem quite right, and neither did, 'thanks for the three orgasms; you've probably ruined me for all other men.'

"I had no idea it had been that long for you," he said to her, finally breaking the silence between them.

Elena wondered briefly if she should have told him, before deciding it was none of his business. He'd told her they should sleep together for the sole purpose of taking the edge off; to ease the tension between them. Seeing him stand there in nothing but his jeans, however, made her want to dive back into bed with him again. Her body was still humming from his touch, and instead of feeling completely satisfied, her body felt as if it had been awakened after a period of hibernation, and it was screaming out for more.

"Does it matter? Would it have made a difference?" she asked him, slightly disconcerted by the ongoing arousal she was experiencing.

Damon shook his head, but inside he wasn't so sure. The attraction between them was through the roof; but being the first lover she'd had in years didn't feel as casual as he'd told himself this one time would be. Even now, there were some blatantly possessive thoughts running through his head about the woman in front of him, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Well, thanks for breaking my drought," she said to him, before walking up and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Before he thought better of it, he wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her properly. She responded passionately; thrusting her tongue into his mouth, lacing her hands around his neck, and pressing herself against him. He hardened instantly, and he knew he had to have her again. His hands ran over her backside, moving her towards his bed while his mouth found the valley between her breasts. When they fell onto the bed together, she ended up on top of him. He rolled her underneath him quickly, enjoying the feel of her body against his far too much. His hands had just reached under skirt, when she cried out for him to stop.

"Once," she said to him breathlessly. "You said once."

She was right, he had said once. He couldn't think about that right now, though. He ached for her again, needed her again.

"What's once more?" he asked her.

He thought she was going to say no, but then she nodded. Not wanting to give her any time to change her mind, he leaned over her to the set of bedside drawers in his room, and took out a condom. She hiked up her skirt, while he pushed his jeans down and put the rubber on. When he entered her, he groaned out load at how good she felt. This time he didn't hold back.

Elena felt close to the edge the moment she felt him thrust into her. He didn't take it slow this time, and she didn't want him to. It seemed that their first time together had merely been a warm-up for this energetic, wild and uncontrolled mating. Every stroke of his body into hers took her higher and higher, and when he reached between them and thumbed her clitoris, the intense pleasure of it all made her scream his name.

The look of pure ecstasy on her face was more than enough make Damon feel he'd been to the moon and back as his own release was ripped from him.

For several minutes they lay side by side on the bed, panting. Eventually she got off the bed. He sat up and watched her put her underwear on, before she walked to the door.

"I'll meet you in the lobby at seven am tomorrow," she said to him, not really making eye contact.

"I'll see you then," he said to her with a tight smile.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I didn't have time to thank you all, but please know I have appreciated all your comments. I have really enjoyed people saying how deluded Damon and Elena are in this, and every time I read that, I laugh. Their 'delusions' have been a constant source of amusement to me :)

Okay, so it's Saturday here in Australia. Wishing you all a very happy and safe weekend. Thanks for reading, and please review.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I thought my weekend updates were becoming predictable, so I decided to shake things up with a mid-week update.

Picking up right where we left off last chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

When Elena walked out the door, Damon headed for the shower. As he stood under the hot spray, he called himself every kind of idiot. He'd said _once_; 'let's sleep together once, Elena, it'll get everything out of our systems.' He'd thought it was a great idea at the time, mostly because the idea of not having her had been messing with his head for the past month. Now he saw his reasoning as the desperate logic of the insanely stupid and chronically deluded. Yeah, he was a real goddamn genius.

'Once' had lasted for five minutes with them in the same room together. The very first time she'd touched him, after they'd had sex, he'd dragged her back to bed to have his way with her a second time. Now every cry, every whimper, and every sound she'd made, when he'd been inside her, was replaying over and over in his head. He turned off the hot water tap, letting the water run cold. Everything about her had turned him on; the way she felt in his arms, the way she tasted like the syrup from those sunrises, and the way she looked shocked, but so darn happy, after she climaxed.

How was it possible she'd been without a lover for so long? She was stunning; a perfect ten. She'd obviously let herself get way too hung up on her ex-fiancé. Matt had moved on though, and now she needed to do the same. She seemed to want to. Would she continue to look for a relationship now? Of course she would, it's what she wanted. He tried not to think about her climbing into bed with some other guy, but couldn't quite manage to push the idea from his head, and now he desperately needed a drink.

After he'd stood under the freezing cold spray for some time, he stepped out, wrapped a towel around his waist and walked back into the room. Her perfume still lingered in the air. He walked to the fridge in the room, and decided he couldn't get drunk enough on any one drink there. He deliberated on returning to the bar again, before deciding to just drink everything in the mini-bar, including two bottles of wine, and samples of every type of alcohol one could buy. When he finally tried to go to sleep, he was distracted by the smell of her in his bed. The next time he had one of his 'bright' ideas he would just shoot himself in the head instead; it would cause him less trouble.

* * *

Elena waited in the lobby the next morning, coffee in hand. After less than two hours of sleep last night, she needed the over-sized coffee in her hand, and the two she'd consumed before it, to help keep her eyes open. She blamed the large amount of caffeine for making her so fidgety, and not the fact that she was waiting to see Damon. Sleeping with her client had been a mistake of monumental proportions. Now she would have to spend the next four weeks in his company trying _not_ to remember how it felt to be touched by him. It meant she would have to try and ignore the state of arousal she'd woken up in. It seemed like her body wanted more, more, more of what it had last night. It hadn't taken very long at all, for their once to become twice. If she hadn't been able to say no to him right after they'd just had sex, there was a good chance she wouldn't be able to hold out until the end of the tour.

By ten past seven, she was becoming anxious. She had allowed some time for delays on the way to his TV interview this morning, but that window of time was passing quickly. She stalled for as long as she could, but at seven-fifteen, she knew she would have to go up there. She reluctantly stepped inside the lift and took the elevator to Damon's floor. When she was outside his room, she hesitated for a moment before knocking softly on his door. After she heard some shuffling inside, he opened the door. Her mouth went dry as she took in his freshly showered appearance. At least he was up, even if he wasn't fully dressed. He didn't say a word to her as she walked past him.

"You were meant to meet me fifteen minutes ago," she said to him, when she was a safe distance away from him.

"I overslept,' he told her gruffly, buttoning his shirt up.

She looked towards the bed, before she could stop herself. The image of the two of them in it, just hours ago, made the dull ache she'd had since waking become a full fledged throb of anticipation. She looked away quickly, but Damon had already seen her looking that way, and when her eyes met his, she blushed profusely. His eyes were radiating enough warmth now to melt a glacier. Damn it, why had she come up here?

"You need to be downstairs in five minutes," she told him in strangled voice, before she walked out of his room.

She leaned against the wall outside his room for a minute or two. Forget the next four weeks; Elena didn't know how she was going to get through today. She walked to the elevator and was still waiting for it, when he joined her. When the lift finally arrived, they stepped in at the same time but stood on opposite sides of the carriage. It was by far the most awkward and uncomfortable moment of her life, and Elena realized she would have to deal with this head on. She was an adult. She'd chosen to do this, and now she had to deal with the consequences. She could _not_ go through another four weeks of _this_. She would acknowledge last night and then they could move on.

"So," she started, "this is awkward."

"Awkward doesn't begin to describe this," he said harshly.

Her head snapped around to look at him when she heard the tone of his voice. She gasped when she realized he was motioning to where his arousal was straining tightly against his jeans. "Don't look so shocked," he growled.

"You said _once_ would get things out of our systems."

"I was an idiot."

"You're not supposed to still want me."

How could she possibly be so naïve, Damon wondered?

"We're standing in the same elevator, where just hours ago we were kissing, and I was touching you, and you're surprised I want you again?"

Her face turned a brilliant shade of red, but he didn't miss the way her eyes darkened. Her gaze wandered down to his crotch again, and when her tongue darted out to moisten her bottom lip, he grew harder.

"You're as affected by this as I am," he said to her, "and the way you look at me doesn't help."

He thought she was going to deny it for a moment, but instead she started to pace in front of him.

"Sleeping together once won't complicate things, you said. It will just ease the tension, you said."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop in front of him.

"I know what I said. Do you think I like feeling this way? Do you think I like this constant game of trying to resist you, of trying to ignore how much I want you? I don't do this, Elena. I don't resist; I don't hold back, I don't do anything but take what I want."

Elena looked at him; felt the waves of frustration and resentment rolling off him. He didn't want to want her; he had been fighting this every step of the way, just like she had. He had a life, he had a girlfriend; he mixed in circles she never would, and did things she'd probably never dream of, and she really wasn't his type. He wanted casual, she wanted permanent. He was reckless, she planned everything. He was wild, she was driven. They were as different as chalk and cheese, but for some reason there was something between them that neither of them seemed able to control.

She didn't know why he was holding back with her, or why he'd decided to resist her, but she did know she was grateful to him for trying so hard. Despite what he thought about himself, he was a good guy; at least when it came to her. She didn't think he'd appreciate her telling him that right now.

When the elevator opened up into the lobby, Damon walked behind her to the car was waiting to take them to the studio. They both slid into the back seat and when the car stated moving, she turned to him.

"We shouldn't sleep together again," she told him, in a hushed voice. "Katherine could find out. What are we going to do?"

Damon wondered why she insisted on asking him that question. He was doubtful she would like his answer, and he wasn't even sure he had one at this point. He'd never come up against anything like this before, and it was stronger than he was. He still didn't understand why he wanted to protect her. He just knew that he didn't like it when she was upset, that he didn't like the idea of hurting her. Those feelings were useless to him; they just made this far more complicated.

"I'm fresh out of ideas, Elena."

"I say we just keep trying to ignore it."

"Yup, that worked for us last time."

Elena ignored his eye roll and shake of his head. It might work – if she didn't have to see him every day for the next four weeks.

"What do you suggest then?" she asked him.

He didn't say anything, but she guessed right away what he was thinking.

"You can't be serious. I think we can both see what happens after we give in to it."

"Nothing else has worked," he said to her simply.

"You think once more is going to help?"

"Not once more, no."

"Then…you want to make it a regular thing?"

Damon tried not to groan out loud at the idea of having her in his bed regularly. The thought of having her when he wanted her, had all of his blood rushing south again.

"I think we should let this thing burn itself out," he said hoarsely.

Elena looked away, unable to take the heat in his gaze anymore. She looked out the window, and tried to contemplate sensibly the idea of having a casual sex relationship with her client. When she felt ready, she looked back at him.

"What about Katherine?"

"What about her?"

"You're in a relationship with her."

"It's an open relationship."

"But she'll find out about us and then…"

"How?"

Elena stared at him blankly for a moment.

"How will she find out about us?" he asked her again.

"I don't know, but these things always come out."

He looked at her sceptically.

"A woman lost her job two weeks ago because she was sleeping with her client, Damon. It's too dangerous. It was a huge risk to sleep with you once."

"Twice," he corrected huskily.

She flushed again, as she remembered their second heated mating. She wondered if she could take something to control the blushing, otherwise she might be walking around with pink cheeks for the whole tour.

"It wouldn't work."

"Why not?"

"It would be distracting."

"And this isn't distracting at all."

"You're not thinking clearly."

"And you're making excuses," he told her.

Damon was ignoring the thought that he should run away from this, and fast. He'd tried to ignore it already, and it hadn't worked. Suggesting any kind of relationship with her was dangerous, he knew that. He'd lost interest in every woman he'd ever had an ongoing relationship with, but it would be different with her. She made him feel different. Even a bout of casual sex with this woman could consume him, but what was he to do? Nothing else was working. His best hope of dealing with this was to fly to the other side of the world, but he suspected that even if he did, he wouldn't forget the beautiful brunette he'd had in his arms last night. His next best option for dealing with this was getting her back into his bed and trying to get this thing out of their systems once and for all; no matter how long it took.

"We just have to keep trying to ignore it, Damon," she said finally.

"It won't work."

"You're not even going to give it a chance are you?"

They studied each other in silence for a moment, their eyes locked the entire time.

"We'll try it your way," Damon said to her, and he literally heard her sigh with relief. "But when it fails; and it will fail, Elena, we do it my way."

"And your way is…?"

"We go back to bed together, until this thing is out of our systems for good."

Elena was thankful that Damon couldn't hear the way her pulse was hammering at the thought of what he was proposing.

"I…can agree to that, but I need to know you're going to give my way a fair try first."

"Only if you give my way a fair try when it fails," he said with a smirk.

"That's fair," Elena agreed.

At that moment they pulled up at the studio. Damon smiled to himself as he stepped out of the car. She'd never even bothered to deny it would be his way in the end.

* * *

Friday morning, Damon had a TV interview for a local network show in Cleveland. As usual, Damon was completely charming and witty. The two hosts Alexis and Marc were entertaining and also quite knowledgeable on the subject of Damon's books. Alexis seemed very well versed with every aspect of Damon's work, and she seemed to be quite the fan. Elena tried not to frown at the way the woman giggled at everything Damon said. In fact Alexis didn't take her eyes off Damon for the entire interview.

Damon was the last guest of the day, and after the show wrapped up, Damon and Alexis stood talking on the side of the set. Elena was waiting for him so they could ride back to the hotel together, but he didn't seem overly concerned about keeping her waiting right now.

During the last three days, Damon had made plenty of innuendos, invaded her space frequently and taken every opportunity to touch her. She knew he was waiting for her resolve to crumble, but Elena was determined to try it her way for as long as possible. It wasn't easy. Every day she fought the urge to say yes to him; every time he touched her, she was aroused instantly, and he knew it.

She tried to catch his attention now, but he refused to look at her, instead focusing completely on Alexis. Giving up for the moment, she decided to help herself to more coffee before trying again. She was in the middle of making coffee when Marc walked up to her.

"Elena, right?"

She looked sideways at him, to find him smiling. The first thing she noticed was his perfect straight white teeth.

"Right," she said, returning his smile.

"I hear you're on tour for the next few weeks."

"Yes, that's right."

"I suppose you don't get much time for R and R, on tour."

She had her coffee now, and they stood to the side while she drank it.

"It's not too bad. My nights are usually free."

He looked surprised for a moment, "You and Damon…"

It took a moment to understand what he was implying.

"No," Elena said. "We're not together."

It was at that exact moment that Damon looked up from where he was standing and looked at her. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear he'd heard her. His eyes glazed over she had the distinct impression that he was angry with her. It was a ridiculous notion since he was chatting up the other co-host. She looked back at Marc, who was smiling at her again. He had sandy brown hair, and she supposed some people might find him attractive. With his large toothy grin, though, he reminded Elena of a shark.

"So that leaves you all alone on a Saturday night, and in need of a tour guide."

Elena was well aware that Damon's eyes hadn't left her; she could literally feel them boring into her as she continued her conversation with Marc.

"You know, there's this great place named Cha-Chi's that's perfect for dinner and dancing on a Saturday night. What do you say you let me take you out for the evening? It'll be fun."

"What will be fun?" Alexis asked, as she and Damon joined them.

"I was just telling Elena about Cha-Chi's. I thought I could show her around a bit. Seems like a waste for such a beautiful woman to be alone on a Saturday night."

She couldn't look at Damon; she was too embarrassed by the entire situation unfolding in front of her. It felt wrong to be asked out by another man in front of him, considering she had, after all, just slept with him nights ago. She was about to say no to Marc when Alexis started speaking.

"Cha-chi's is great," Alexis told her. "You'll love it. You know, we should all go. I'm sure Damon would love to see something other than the four walls of his hotel room for the next few weeks. What do you think, Damon?"

Elena looked up to meet Damon's eyes. She was startled by how intensely he was glaring at her.

"Sounds like fun," he said, with a smile so tight Elena wondered why his face wasn't cracking. Had they just agreed to go on a double date together, as other people's dates?

"Marc you can get us a table there, can't you? It's always packed, but Marc is a regular there," Alexis explained to them.

"I'm sure he is," Damon muttered. Elena looked at Marc, but he evidently hadn't heard Damon. She glared at her client. There was no need to be rude, no matter what the circumstances were.

"Elena, are you ready to leave?" Damon asked her silkily.

She'd been ready ages ago and now that Damon looked capable of murder she didn't want to walk out the door with him. Discussing their double date, however, wasn't any more appealing.

"Yes, I'm ready."

With that, they said their goodbyes, and finalized details for Saturday night, before they left. As soon as they were outside, Damon let fly.

"Are you out of your mind?" he asked her.

Elena didn't know what she'd done to deserve his anger. She certainly didn't appreciate him addressing her like she was a child. She had been about to tell him she didn't want to date Marc at all, but she didn't want to justify herself to him, especially when he was being such an ass.

"It's just dinner and dancing," she told him, mentally patting herself on the back for staying so calm and reasonable.

"Just dinner and dancing," he repeated. "A man like Marc doesn't just want dinner and a dance, Elena. He wants to wine you, dine you, and then f…"

"That's enough," Elena told him quickly, her own temper flaring now. "Don't be disgusting. You don't know that."

"Oh, but I do. That's the type of man who preys on innocents. He won't take no for an answer."

"Neither will you, judging by your behavior these past few days."

"I'm not going to force myself on you."

"And he will? Despite what you think, he may just want my company for the night."

"Don't be so god damn naïve."

"I don't need you to protect me."

"Your actions say otherwise."

"I didn't ask you to, and I don't want you there."

"Tough. You need me there. Besides, I wouldn't want to miss the look on your face when you realize I'm right."

"So this is just a joke to you?"

"Yes, Elena. I find hilarity in the lengths I need to go to, to save you from jumping into bed with dangerous men!"

"You didn't stop me from jumping into bed with you!"

She was literally shaking with rage as she got into the car. Neither of them said a word on the drive back to the hotel. Once they arrived at the hotel, she stepped inside the lift and pressed the number for her floor. Damon stepped in beside her, and pressed the number for his floor. She wanted to scream and throw her high heeled shoe at him for being such an ass. The fact that he was her client, however, had the professional in her demanding she play nicely, and since she couldn't say anything nice right now, she kept her mouth shut.

Damon glanced sideways at his publicist. She looked thoroughly pissed at him right now. It was fair to say she made him crazy. The moment he'd seen her talking to Marc, he'd been so overcome with jealousy, he couldn't think straight. He hadn't lied to her about Marc. The guy wouldn't be content with just dinner and a dance, but she had no clue. Now he had to spend his Saturday night babysitting her on some date instead of bedding her.

When the elevator stopped at her floor, Elena stepped out of the lift, before turning around and holding the doors open.

"Your interview with the journalist from the paper is at one pm tomorrow," she told him. "Don't be late."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Elena," he said lazily.

She was even more beautiful when she was mad at him. He wanted to reach for her, pull her back into the lift, and kiss her until she gave into what was between them.

"Goodbye, Damon," she said coolly.

He watched her walk away. He'd promised to do it her way for a time. Okay, so he'd flirted with her a little, but he'd been reasonable, especially when a repeat of Monday night was all he could think about almost every waking moment. She should have caved by now, but she was being stubborn. Waiting for her to come round to his way of thinking was killing him. Even Katherine's attempt at phone sex last night had done nothing for him; he'd had to get her off the line quickly when he'd been close to saying Elena's name instead of hers.

Tomorrow, he decided, the gloves were coming off. If Elena thought he would just stand by and let another man date her and dance with her, she was mistaken. He was now choosing not to fight this thing between them anymore. Elena was about to meet the real Damon Salvatore, and he could be one very bad boy.

* * *

A/N: The idea of this double date had been playing around in my head for a while, and I wanted to explore it. I hope you're still enjoying the story. Thanks for reading, and please review.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

On Saturday morning, Elena heard someone knocking loudly on her hotel room door. She forced her eyes open and looked at the clock next to her bedside. It was nine in the morning. It was her first sleep in on tour, and now she was being interrupted. It couldn't be an emergency because if someone was in trouble they would call her mobile. That meant it was probably Damon. After their heated disagreement yesterday, she wasn't quite ready to face him, especially without make-up and clothes, but his knocking was becoming more and more persistent, and he would wake up the neighbors in a minute.

With a mumbled "hang-on", aimed in his general direction, she slipped out of the bed, put on her white silk dressing gown, and fastened it tightly around her before opening the door.

"Did I wake you?" he asked her innocently.

"Damon what are you…?"

"I brought you coffee," he told her, slipping past her into her hotel room, despite her murmured protest.

The room, which had never felt that big in the first place, felt even smaller with him standing in it. She might have had more to say, but he passed her a divine smelling cup of coffee. She normally rushed through her first coffee of the morning, but this one smelt so good. She moaned out loud after her first taste of the delicious hot liquid.

Damon turned away from her, and forced himself to remember why he was here. He was here to execute his plan, but it was going to be challenging when she made noises like that. The fact that he could see the outline of the red and black negligee under her robe; a robe which was completely see through, didn't help either. He told himself she would be his soon enough.

As Elena sipped her coffee, she noticed Damon was clean shaven and freshly showered.

"Your interview isn't until one. What are you doing here, Damon?"

"I thought the coffee would help with…this," he said, making a face.

"What's this?" she asked him, not following.

"Your mood generally tends to improve after coffee."

Elena stared at him. It was an accurate observation but she wasn't happy that he'd worked that out. He read and understood her so well that she couldn't keep much from him at all. Early morning was never her favorite time of day, but lately she'd been grumpier that usual due to the lack of sleep and ongoing arousal she'd been experiencing.

"This is my one morning to sleep in, and I still don't know why you're here," she said to him, choosing to ignore his comment.

"I came here to apologize," he said to her. "You know how to look after yourself."

Elena wasn't entirely comforted by his apology; something about his apology felt…off.

"That's not what you were saying yesterday."

"I changed my mind," he said with a shrug.

Something was definitely wrong here. His expression was innocent enough, but he was up to something.

"So, you won't be joining us tonight then?"

"And miss out on a date with Alexis? She used to be a gymnast," he told her, with a wink.

"You like Alexis," Elena stated.

"This could have been uncomfortable, after Monday, but since you're going out with Marc, I'm guessing you don't have a problem if I…?" he trailed off, waiting for her to answer.

So that's what he was up to. He was worried she would be upset by his interest in another woman. Why should she be upset? They had had an arranged night of sex, and now they were trying to put it behind them. Well _she_ had been trying to put it behind them, and now it looked like he was finally trying to do the same.

This was a good thing, Elena told herself. His constant attention had been enough to make saying no to him an impossible task at the best of times. Even with him standing in her room, she was thinking about how much she wanted to get back into bed with him.

"No," Elena told him quickly, swallowing. "It's for the best."

"What is for the best?" he asked, moving towards her.

"You and I…with other people."

He grabbed her chin with his hand, forcing her to look at him. "It's not for the best, Elena. You're trying to run away from this, and I'm indulging you."

Her face was only inches from his, and as he held her face in place, his eyes focused on her lips.

"Is that what you think?" she asked him.

"I think you're a chicken."

He did not just call her a chicken for not sleeping with him.

"You know what I think? I think your ego is so fragile, that you can't possibly accept my answer would be no after sleeping with you."

He released her chin, and ran his eyes over her leisurely. When they reached her breasts, she felt her nipples pebble beneath his gaze. Of course her dressing gown had slipped and was partially open at the front, and the knowing look in his eyes told her that he could see the effect he had on her.

"You're not saying no because you don't want me, Elena. You want me as much as I want you, but you're pretending that you don't. That's why you're a chicken."

"If you had any idea what I would be risking for a few nights of satisfaction…"

"Oh I understand that you're scared. What you don't understand is that this isn't going away. We're stuck together for three more weeks, and it's only going to get worse."

He was right; but giving in felt too dangerous. It meant risking everything for a man – a man who would give her nothing but carnal knowledge in return. Part of her wanted to take that risk, but another part of her wouldn't let her. Her job was her life, and when she was working she knew exactly who she was; she was a confident and successful woman. When it came to men she had no idea what she was doing. She couldn't choose a man over her career.

"I can't…" she said. "I'm sorry."

"Well I'm not going to sit around waiting for you to be ready."

"I would never expect you to."

"Good. So I'm going to go out with Alexis and have a good time, and you should do the same with Marc."

Elena thought Damon's 'good time' would no doubt mean sleeping with Alexis. The thought didn't make her happy at all. Yesterday she'd wondered briefly if he might have been jealous of her going on a date, but now she was the one who felt jealous. None of this made sense. She had no right to be jealous. She couldn't tell him she wasn't interested and not expect him to pursue another woman. He was obviously fine with her dating Marc; actually, he was now telling her to go out with Marc.

"Does this mean you've revised your opinion of Marc?" she asked him, hopefully.

"The guy's trouble, Elena; but then so am I," he said to her, with a smirk. "You seem to like trouble, but I thought you might want some advice."

"I thought you came here to apologize."

"I did, but I also came to give you a few pointers for tonight."

Her first instinct was to argue that she didn't need his help, but the last advice he gave her was good advice, and it couldn't hurt to listen to what he said. She could always disregard it. But if he thought Marc was a jerk, why would he encourage her to go on this date? He didn't need her to date Marc so he could go out with Alexis. He could do what he wanted. She tried to concentrate on what he was saying.

"Don't drink anything he hands you."

"Damon, he's hardly going to…"

"Get rid of it straight away if you smell vanilla."

"Vanilla?" she asked, confused.

He held up a finger, motioning for her to be quiet. He then spent the next five minutes telling her what she should and shouldn't do on this date, and what Marc may or may not do.

"I don't get it. If you think he could do all of that, why would you tell me I should sleep with him?"

"Sleep with him? At what point did I just say, Elena throw all caution to the wind and sleep with him?"

"You didn't, but…"

"Exactly, I didn't."

"You said to have a good time."

"Since when does good time mean have sex with the guy?"

"I just thought you meant…you and Alexis."

"What is this, some sick game of tit for tat?" He shook his head at her. "I'll see you at one."

He walked out the door, leaving Elena confused. Was he going to sleep with Alexis or not?

After leaving her room, Damon took the lift down the ground floor. It had taken all of his will power to keep his hands off her. If he pushed too hard though, she would fight him. If he attempted to seduce her, she would fight it. He needed her to stop fighting so hard, and that meant backing right off and letting her come to him. He'd also told her just about every possible thing that could go wrong on her date tonight, and now he needed to go shopping for vanilla essence and laxatives. Depending on how this night went, Marc wouldn't know what hit him.

* * *

When Damon set foot in _Cha-Chi's_ and saw the way couples were dancing on the floor, he knew exactly why Marc had suggested this place to Elena. It was an excuse for him to put his hands all over her. Elena looked so good tonight, that every man here was probably going to want to dance with her. He'd almost fallen over when he'd first caught a glimpse of her in her in a sequined black top, red and black skirt, and strappy black sandals.

Judging from the wide eyed expression she was also wearing right now, she hadn't expected anything like this either. She stood almost hypnotized, watching the way each couple had their hips literally glued together. A couple to the right of them was dancing so provocatively, he swore he saw Elena blush underneath the dim lighting. They all watched as the man slid down the woman's body, and kissed her chest, his hands massaging the soft mounds of the woman's backside.

Elena had been able to hear the Latin music from the street, and she had expected to find people salsa dancing, but this was far more uninhibited than anything she'd ever imagined. She didn't know if she could ever be that uninhibited. She certainly didn't want to try that with Marc. From the moment he'd picked her up, he hadn't stopped touching her.

"Look at the way they feel the music," Marc said to her.

"They're feeling it alright," Damon said loud enough for all of them to hear him.

"Come-on, we should eat first. I can't dance on an empty stomach," Alexis said.

Elena was aware of Marc's hand sitting heavily on the small of her back as he guided her up a rickety old staircase to the restaurant part of the club. From their booth upstairs they could see the dance floor perfectly. She ended up sitting opposite Damon somehow, and every time she looked up from the dance floor she looked right at him. Thankfully, Alexis seemed to be keeping him entertained, talking about a celebrity she'd interviewed a couple of weeks ago.

After a cocktail on an empty stomach, Elena was starting to relax. That was until Marc slung his arm across the back of the booth, and he moved closer to her. Suddenly, all the warnings Damon gave her this morning were coming back to her. As much as Elena didn't want to admit she was worried about the things Damon had said, she was suddenly glad he was here, even if he was on a date with someone else.

"How about a dance before dinner?" Alexis asked Damon.

"Do you want to dance, Elena?" Marc asked.

"After dinner," she told Marc.

After hearing her answer, Damon and Alexis left them to go and dance. Elena decided she really didn't like Alexis the moment she started dancing with Damon. Elena watched them dance from her spot in their booth. When Alexis wrapped her arms around Damon's neck and ground her hips against his, Elena had to turn away. She didn't need to see that; she didn't want to think about that. How had this happened? She wasn't even his girlfriend, but she didn't want Damon sleeping with anyone but her.

"_What you don't understand is that this isn't going away. We're stuck together for the three weeks, and it's only going to get worse." _

She was trying so hard to run from the attraction she felt to him, but her feelings and desires weren't subsiding at all.

"I can't wait to do that with you," Marc whispered in her ear. "You're so beautiful."

She shuddered as he moved even closer, and started to stroke her arm with his hand. Elena wondered again if Damon was right about this guy. What would she do if Marc didn't take no for an answer? When his hand slipped down to her knee, and started moving slowly up her thigh, she firmly removed it, but it found its way back again.

"Do you like it when I touch you?" Marc asked her, moving closer to her again, so she was sandwiched by the balcony railing and his body.

Elena would have thought the fact that she'd removed his hand would indicate that she didn't like it at all, but it seemed her date was as dense as the wooden table they were seated at.

"Mmm, you smell good," Marc said, burying his face in her hair.

His hands were becoming more persistent now. She'd never been in this situation before, and she really wasn't sure what she should do. She wanted to grind her heel into his foot, but this man was a host of a TV show connected to her PR company, and she couldn't. If she'd been at home she would have left and caught a cab, but since she was here on a double date, she wasn't quite ready to do that. Moreover, she wasn't entirely sure that her date wouldn't follow her.

"Will you excuse me, I need to use the ladies," she told him.

Marc slid out of the booth to let her past, and she literally ran to the bathroom. Elena closed the door behind her, and leaned on it for a moment, listening for footsteps. Had she really thought he might follow her in here? Either Damon's words had messed with her mind, or she was in serious trouble. She walked to the basin and splashed some water over her face.

Looking in the mirror she asked herself what the hell she was doing here. She hadn't wanted to come here in the first place, and she should have said so. Damon had warned her yesterday not to go out with Marc, but she'd wanted to prove him wrong. A small part of her had also thought that if she could go out with another man then maybe she could move past the attraction she had to her client. It looked like she'd been wrong, and now she was stuck on the date from hell.

When she left the bathroom she breathed a sigh of relief that Damon and Alexis were back at the table.

"We're going to get drinks," Marc said to her, standing up. "Do you want the same as you had before?"

Elena nodded as she slipped back into the booth, and tried not to worry about the fact that Marc would be handling her drink.

"How long has Damon been your client?" Alexis asked her, her eyes never leaving Damon.

"Just over a month."

"He said you're not allowed to date your clients."

"That's right," Elena told her, not knowing why Damon would have told her that.

"When I saw the two of you together yesterday, I thought you were together. I can't believe you haven't thought about it."

"How long have you and Marc been working together?" Elena asked her, changing the subject.

"A little over a year. He's nice enough, but he doesn't keep his hands to himself, if you know what I mean," Alexis said to her.

Even his co-worker had been able to see what Elena had clearly missed. Was Damon right about her? Was she naïve? If she was, it was only because she'd chosen to stay out of the game for so long, and now she was coming back into this whole dating game missing years of experience.

When the men reappeared with their drinks, she took hers and was about to take a sip of the electric blue cocktail when she caught a whiff of vanilla. Suddenly, not interested in touching it, she put the drink down and was relieved when their food arrived. As soon as she'd eaten, she would feign a headache and ask Damon to make sure Marc didn't follow her back to the hotel.

At least while Damon and Alexis were there, Marc settled for putting an arm around her, and that was it. Elena didn't know quite where to look, while she ate. She had the dancing to one side of her, Marc staring at her intensely on the other side of her, and Damon and Alexis were sharing food with each other in front of her. The loud music didn't really allow for much conversation, but she could easily hear Alexis and Damon flirting.

"I can't wait to get you back on that dance floor. God, am I being too forward?"

"I like a woman who knows what she wants," Damon told her.

Elena knew that he was speaking to Alexis, but it still felt like a jibe aimed at her after their conversation earlier. When they'd finally finished eating, Elena wanted to get out of there, but she needed to talk to Damon and ask him to keep an eye on her date when she left. No matter how much she tried to get his attention, however, he wouldn't be distracted long enough for her to tell him she needed to talk to him. When Marc suggested they dance, both Alexis and Damon jumped at the chance. Not wanting to be left alone with her date again she let herself be led down to the dance floor.

Elena took in all the other couples having fun, and wondered if there was something wrong with her because she wasn't enjoying herself. When Marc grabbed her ass for the tenth time, she decided it was time to leave the floor. She was looking for Damon when she realized that he and Alexis were actually dancing right beside them now. Seeing this as her opportunity to extricate herself from the situation, she called out for a partner swap. Marc was reluctant to let her go, and she could see Alexis wasn't overly happy about it, but she didn't care. Damon just raised an eyebrow at her when they started dancing together.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked her.

She shuffled backwards and forwards with him. "No," she said, moving closer, so he could hear her. "He won't keep his hands to himself. You were right."

Damon thought Marc was one lucky guy right now. If he wasn't dancing with Elena, Damon would punch the guy's lights out. He had known Marc would try and feel her up, but he thought he'd wait until later. Obviously, he'd started on Elena straight away, and she looked upset. He pulled her closer.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

Elena felt his hands on her waist, and realized she was okay. She was okay when she was with him. She was safe when she was with him. How could she feel so safe with someone who could destroy everything she'd been working so hard for? She put her hands on his shoulders, moving closer to him.

"I want to go back to the hotel," she told him.

He nodded, before skimming his hands up and down her sides. "I like your skirt," he told her.

"It twirls," she told him.

"Show me."

He grabbed her hand and spun her around. Elena felt a bit like a movie star as she watched her skirt spin outwards. When he spun her back towards him, her back ended up pressed to his front. Damon put his hands on her hips, and Elena moved with him, feeling the music. She threw and arm around his neck so she could look at him while they moved together. As she locked eyes with him, her heart sped up, and she decided that she actually liked this type of dancing after all. She just needed the right partner.

"I'm going to take you back to the hotel," he whispered in her ear.

"No, Damon. It's fine. Alexis…"

"Will deal with it."

He spun her round so that she was facing him.

"Damon…"

"Do you want me to stay here, or do you want me to take you back to the hotel?"

Elena knew what he was asking. Was he going home with Alexis or was he going home with her? Was she ready to give in and act on what was between them? She already knew the answer. She'd known the answer all week, but she'd been fighting against it. Fighting it really wasn't working out for her anymore.

"I want you to take me back to the hotel," she told him.

"Does this mean you're ready to try things my way?" he asked her.

"Yes."

Damon felt himself harden in response to her simple answer. He wanted her so badly; needed her so badly, and now he could finally surrender to the desire he'd been fighting against for so long. He wanted to kiss her desperately; he wanted to brand her and make sure she didn't think twice about what they were going to do, but he was aware of where they were, and who they were with. He wouldn't risk word getting back to Elena's boss, or to Katherine. Marc would get off easy tonight, Damon thought, throwing an arm around Elena's shoulders; because they were going straight back to the hotel before she could change her mind.

"Let's go," he told her.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate all your support. Marc and Damon each had a line from Dirty Dancing 2 in this, and I blame that on the fact that I was listening to the soundtrack while writing this.

So, there will be a big change to the relationship in the next chapters. Don't worry I haven't forgotten about Katherine, and neither have they ;)

I hope you found something to enjoy while reading this. Thanks for reading, and please review.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Elena flipped onto her stomach and glanced at the clock beside Damon's bed. The red digital display told her it was ten past one in the morning. After they'd blown off Alexis and Marc, they'd come back to the hotel and had spent the past three hours in bed together. She felt relaxed and sated as he kissed and caressed her shoulder, but she knew it was time to move.

"Where are you going?" Damon asked, as she sat up.

She had given in to his idea of sleeping together, while this attraction blazed between them, but she still wasn't sure exactly how it would work. They needed to have some boundaries between them, and that meant not sharing a bed all night. Keeping work and pleasure separate was essential for her to continue to do her job well. She would have to balance their new sexual relationship with their working one, and to do that she needed to be in the right frame of mind to think properly; something she struggled to do around her client.

"We have early flights tomorrow. I should get some sleep."

"So sleep here," he told her, pulling her back, so she was lying next to him.

"Damon,"

"Mmm,"

He'd climbed on top of her now, his arms braced on either side of her, holding her in like a cage. She shifted her legs so that her legs were on the outside of his.

"I won't sleep if I stay here. Oh, God, that feels…"

She couldn't talk as his tongue came out to flick her earlobe before trailing open-mouthed kisses down her neck.

"You can't leave yet," he murmured against her neck, "we're not finished."

Just how many more rounds did he have in him tonight? At least one more, judging by the way his erection was now pressing against her entrance. All she'd need to do is tilt her hips and he'd slide right inside her.

"Condom," she reminded him.

He looked at her briefly, before swearing softly.

"I have more," he told her, "but they're in my case."

"Then we should stop."

"Yes," he said, resting his forehead lightly against hers. "We should stop."

Damon wasn't ready to stop. She had been about to leave, and he didn't want her to go yet. It had taken so long for him to get her into his bed and now he didn't want to let her out of it. Waiting for her to be ready, and wanting her all the time, had given him an appetite for her that wouldn't be curbed any time soon.

Elena waited for him to move, but he remained completely still.

"It's not going to hurt if I just kiss you a little bit longer."

He kissed her hungrily, felt her spread her legs even further apart, allowing him better access to her. He could feel her entrance growing slicker with desire as he kissed her. She moved slightly underneath him and he felt his manhood push into her ever so slightly. They both groaned.

"Damon…"

She looked into his eyes, and he felt his heart clench a little. She made him feel lost. She made him feel out of control. He was swelling more and more for her with every second that passed; the throbbing need to possess her again, almost driving him out of his mind. His whole body felt far too hot, far too tight, as her body beckoned his.

"You feel too good," he told her.

Elena knew they needed to stop, but she wanted him to keep going. Even now, her hips were oscillating ever so slightly, while his body was literally trembling from the control it was exerting to not thrust into her. He trailed hot kisses over her jaw, her neck, and when his tongue traced her collarbone, she moved a little, sliding a little bit further onto his length.

"Elena," he panted, "we have to stop."

"So, stop then," she told him breathlessly.

"I don't want to," he told her.

"I don't want to either," she admitted.

He kissed her again, and as their lips devoured each other and their tongues mated, overpowering instinct overrode common sense and her hips tilted upwards ever so slightly. The change of angle was all it took for him to surge into her very wet heat. Elena gasped as she felt him fill her completely. Neither of them moved, as they locked eyes.

Damon knew this was beyond stupid, but he could feel her muscles tightening around him and after using condoms all night, feeling her like this, without a barrier between them, was beyond pleasurable.

"Elena."

"Just don't come," she told him.

If he didn't take it slowly, he would be in danger of exploding very quickly inside of her. He moved with her, extra slowly, but slowing his movements down only made it all the more sensual and erotic as they watched each other. His shaft stroked her sweet spot each time his body entered hers, and he could feel her panting hotly in his ear. Her excitement was increasing with every stroke, and when she begged him to go faster, he couldn't deny her what she wanted.

"Damon," she cried out, as she tensed around him.

She was holding onto him so tightly when she reached orgasm, that he had to stop moving again. Her arms were around his neck, her hands tangled in his hair, and her legs were wrapped around his hips, pulling him deep inside her center as she contracted around him. Her moans and her body had him on the edge of spilling inside of her. As soon as her grip on him loosened, he exited her body and rolled onto his back. He was about to finish the job himself when Elena sat up, moved down his body, and took him into her mouth. She finished him off quickly with her hand and her mouth.

Afterward, Elena kissed his stomach before resting her head on it. She felt him stroke her hair while they lay there silently, and her eyes began to close. If she didn't leave now, she would never leave. Finally mustering the strength to stand, she got out of the bed and started to get dressed.

"Is this how it's going to be every night?" he asked her, sitting up.

"Is what how it's going to be?"

"You leaving my hotel room at some ridiculous hour of the morning."

He didn't sound or look happy, and she wondered for a moment if what she was doing was wrong, before she reminded herself that she had as much say in this as he did, and that her sleep was important. She couldn't function if she wasn't sleeping, and staying in bed with him would not lead to the sleep she needed.

"I would prefer the hour to not be so ridiculous, but I don't think I should stay here until morning."

"You said you'd do things my way."

"I did. I thought that meant sex, not sleepovers."

Damon didn't know what to say; didn't know why he felt so upset by her wanting to leave. Normally women didn't leave before he was finished with them; but then normally he was finished with them fairly quickly. He knew he should consider her leaving a good thing. If she wanted to keep it to sex until all hours of the night and then walk away, he should be happy with that. He couldn't offer her anything but sex anyway; and not using a condom was pretty stupid.

"Are you on birth control?" he asked her.

"Yes," she said. "But I only just started a few weeks ago. It should have kicked in, but…"

"But we should be careful," he finished for her.

"Yes."

They'd both lost themselves in the moment. Pregnancy wasn't the only thing she should be wary of and he was surprised she would be so trusting with him. She walked over to the bed and kissed him, and he pulled her onto his lap, so he could kiss her more thoroughly.

"I'll see you when your flight comes in tomorrow," she said to him, hopping off his lap.

"Another book signing, right?"

"Yup. Sick of them yet?"

"Getting there. At least now I'll have the nights to look forward to," he said to her, raising an eyebrow, wanting to hear that they were still on the same page when it came to that.

"I'm giving in, Damon. I told you that."

"It's about time," he told her, giving her ass a playful tap as she turned around. She swatted him in return.

"Goodnight, Elena," he called as she opened the door.

"Goodnight, Damon," she called before she shut the door behind her.

* * *

One week later, Elena shook her head at the air hostess who was asking her if she wanted anything. The only thing she wanted right now was to be in New York City already. She should be there helping set up the, "Meet the Authors" function Damon would be attending over the next few days. Instead she was in a plane sitting next to her client, who was happily flicking through the romance novel she'd bought at the airport before they departed. He frowned as he read pages from the middle of the book. Elena could only assume he'd found a juicy bit.

"This is very descriptive," he said loudly.

She took the book off him, ignoring the looks of the passengers behind them, and whacked him softly on the arm with it, before slipping it into her bag.

She wanted to blame him for this, but this was her fault. She'd let herself become too tired. Even now, her eyes felt gritty with fatigue. After leaving Damon's room some time after two am for the past six nights, Damon had insisted he come to her last night. That would have been fine, except they'd both fallen asleep and she'd slept through her alarm this morning. When she'd finally stumbled out of bed, she'd been accosted by him in the shower and now…now they were here.

She couldn't stop what she was doing with him now. One, Damon probably wouldn't let her, and two, she didn't want to. This couldn't happen again, though. Without thinking, she pulled a piece of scrap paper and pen out of her bag and started making a list of 'rules' for this relationship she was having with him. Maybe if she followed this list, she wouldn't end up here again. She just stopped to read her list over when Damon whipped it away from under her.

"What do we have here? Elena, what is this?"

"I think it's pretty self-explanatory," she told him, reaching for the paper.

Damon held it out of her reach while he read through her list of rules. "Why do you need a list of rules?" he asked her.

"You weren't meant to see them," she told him, trying to grab the piece of paper from him again.

Damon shook his head. The woman had it all wrong, and he was going to have to teach her how to do this. "I know you've never done anything like this before, but you're going about it the wrong way."

"I didn't realize that there is a right way and a wrong way to ruin my life," she said to him, annoyed by the fact that he'd seen her list.

"Well, there is; and you're not going to ruin your life."

"It's just a few rules so that what happened today doesn't happen again."

"It was worth it," he told her with a smirk.

Of course she blushed. "We missed our flights."

"I got us new ones; better ones, and we're flying together."

Elena didn't tell him she didn't want to fly with him. She needed to be doing her job right now, and they needed to limit their affair to sex, and sex only.

"You're not exactly the spontaneous type, are you?" he asked her.

Spontaneity had been a luxury she couldn't afford when her parents had died. She and Jeremy had been forced into the foster care system, and she had been entirely focused on trying to keep her and Jeremy together. Then she'd been working and studying, and trying to keep Jeremy in line once she became his guardian, and now…now she wanted to be spontaneous, but she didn't always remember to be spontaneous; or maybe she'd simply just forgotten how to be.

"I haven't always had the opportunity to be," she told him.

"Well now is your chance."

"I thought that's what we were doing," she said to him.

"No, you're tying to control this."

"If I'm trying to control anything, it's the risk of losing my job."

Damon thought she needed to loosen up a little bit, and he was just the man to make his buttoned up publicist let loose. He needed to teach her how to have fun.

"You can't apply rules to something like this," he told her.

"I thought all men care about is sex," she said to him.

"What's your point?"

"My point," she said, finally managing to lean over and grab the piece of paper from him, "is why do you care if I make a few rules? I gave in. We're having sex. That's what you want. Why does it matter if I want to be careful while doing that?"

She didn't tear up the piece of paper like he hoped she would, instead she folded it neatly and slipped it into her handbag.

"It's not in the spirit of things," he said to her, starting to become annoyed as she used his logic against him.

"You're trying to control the spirit of things," she told him.

"You decided to do things my way. My way is the no rules way. If you're going to do this, you should enjoy it," he told her, pushing a piece of her hair behind her ear.

He wasn't the type to make speeches, yet here he was, trying to convince his publicist not to impose limits on their sex life. She was looking at him now all doe eyed and innocent, leaning towards him with her elbow propped on the armrest casually. He could see her trying to make up her mind whether she should follow his advice, or whether she should go ahead with her own plan.

"I am enjoying it," she told him, blushing again. "You know that. It's just that I haven't done this before and…"

"And you thought that making rules would help," he finished for her.

"Yes," she said, frowning.

He took her hand and traced his finger over the palm of her hand.

"Well, I have done this before…"

"I know…"

"So why don't you throw your rules out the window, and let me be your guide?" he asked her, brushing his lips over the palm of her hand.

"I'll think about forgetting the rules," she said, a little breathlessly, "but I can't be late again."

"Fine, now give me the list so I can rip it up."

"I think we should keep the last rule," she told him, handing him the piece of paper.

Out of all the rules on her list, the last rule was the one Damon liked the least. He didn't want to impose a time limit on what they were doing.

"What happened to letting things run their course?" he asked her.

"I know, but when we get back to Mystic Falls…well, it will be even more dangerous. Besides, by then we'll have been having sex for three weeks. Surely that's long enough for things to have run its course?"

Damon didn't know if it would be, and putting an expiry date on what they were doing actually made him feel desperately afraid that it wouldn't be long enough. After just seven nights in bed together, he thought it could take months for him to stop needing her the way he needed her right now. Yet he knew she was right, it would be more dangerous when they were in the same town as Katherine. He wasn't sure there was much he could do about Katherine either. If he broke up with her now, she'd be suspicious and she'd find another way to go after Elena. He didn't like feeling helpless when it came to protecting the woman next to him.

"Damon."

He looked up to see Elena pointing to the piece of paper she'd given him.

It was only then that he realized he'd shredded the piece of paper into something resembling snow, and it was about to go everywhere.

"Do we have an agreement?" she asked him.

"Consider it a tentative agreement," he told her, "that I can choose to re-evaluate at any given time."

In other words, Elena thought, he might not be finished with her by the time they got back to Mystic Falls. She knew from the expression he was wearing right now, that he wanted her again. He let the paper drop from his hands, before he reached out and cupped her chin in his palm, bringing her lips to his. As soon as his lips touched hers Elena felt need explode inside her; a feeling she was fast getting used to. She shifted slightly, allowing him better access to her mouth.

When they finally pulled apart, Elena wondered, what if she wasn't finished with him by the time he realized he was done with her? She couldn't think about that; she just had to focus on the fact that what they were doing was about sex and nothing else. When it was time to walk away, it was time to walk away.

* * *

Hours later his publicist was in a frenzy trying to sort out some last minute problems with the venue they'd arrived at. Damon listened to her phone conversation with Elijah. She was speaking calmly and her voice was controlled, but he could tell from the expression on her face and the way she was pacing, that underneath she was panicking. When she hung up, she turned to him.

"I have to go and sort this out with the MTA administrators," she told him quickly.

As he watched her walk away from him, he found himself admiring the tight curves of her body, but her body wasn't the only thing he found himself admiring about her. She worked hard, and now he was making sure she played just as hard. He could see she was tired. Perhaps he needed to ease up on her just a bit. She gave herself over to him so completely when they were in bed together, that it was just so easy to keep taking. Guilt washed through him as he wondered if perhaps he was taking too much.

Elena was pacing in her hotel room on the phone that night, when she received a text message from Damon.

_Small problem. Can you come up here?_

Elena tried to concentrate on her phone call and not on the fact that Damon probably had a big throbbing problem that he needed 'help' with. Once she hung up she rubbed her eyes and wondered how much more of this she could take. She was so incredibly tired, she needed a new word for tired. She wasn't taking care of herself and she was going to burn out if she wasn't careful. Worse, she'd dropped the ball today. Every problem that had arisen today could have been dealt with if she'd taken her scheduled flight this morning. She was making mistakes; Elijah wasn't happy, and she hoped he didn't decide to follow through on his threat, and send someone to keep an eye on her.

She should stay in, get some take out, and have an early night. Normally she and Damon started their evenings at about eight o'clock, but it was only six-thirty now, and he already wanted her to come up. She didn't know if she could do a marathon sex romp with him tonight. Reaching a decision, she called Damon.

"Hey," he said. "Did you get my message?"

"I did. Is it an emergency, because I thought I might stay in tonight and try and get some sleep."

Damon looked around the room he was standing in. "Yes, it's an emergency, Elena. Come up, and you can go back after you've sorted it out. If you still want to."

Elena hung up with a sigh, before grabbing her purse and heading out the door. When she knocked on his door, he answered it quickly. The first thing she noticed was that it his room looked dark.

"Hello, Elena," he stepped aside to let her in, but not before she noticed his lips twitching with amusement.

"What's the big emer…?"

She stopped speaking when she walked into his room and found dozens of candles lighting up the room. Then her gaze wandered to the table in the corner of the room where she could see a bottle of wine and at least ten boxes from Wong's Chinese Garden.

"What's this?" she asked, turning around to him.

He passed her a blood red rose, surprising her further.

"It's just dinner," he assured her. "I know you're tired. You can eat and go…if you want."

Her look of gratitude was all the thanks he needed. He motioned her over to the table, where he pulled out a chair for her.

Elena laid her rose down on the table beside her. The food in front of her smelt delicious and reminded her that she'd had nothing more than an apple to eat for breakfast, all day.

"Hungry?" he asked her.

"Absolutely," she told him with a smile.

He filled her glass with wine and piled her plate with food. "See if you can get through that," he said to her.

"Is that a challenge?" she asked him.

"It is, Gilbert. Think you can handle it?"

"Oh, I can handle it," she assured him.

He gave her a slow grin and she smiled back at him. As Elena picked up her chopsticks, she acknowledged how nice it was to have someone waiting for her at the end of the day; someone who knew she'd had a bad day, and cared enough to make sure she ate. They kept the conversation light, but Damon made her laugh, and he was intelligent, and she found herself enjoying his company. A lot. Sharing her evenings with someone, and having someone to come home to, was exactly what she wanted. It felt so natural and right with Damon that she had to remind herself that he wasn't hers.

"Have a bath with me," he said to her, after dinner.

"I'm not sure…"

"Just a bath, Elena. It will help you sleep."

"Okay."

She should have said no, but the wine had relaxed and mellowed her, and a bubble bath to ease her aching muscles sounded terrific right about now. They had been sitting in the bath for around ten minutes; Damon giving her a hot wet deep kiss, when they both heard a knock on the door.

"Room service?" she asked him.

"No," he said, making a face. "I didn't order anything."

He stepped out of the bath, wrapped a white towel around his hips, and made his way out of the bathroom. Elena carefully stepped out of the bath, wrapped a towel around her, and knotted it between her breasts. She'd just walked out of the bathroom as he opened the door.

"Katherine."

The surprise in his voice, and the fact that he had the door angled so Elena couldn't see the other woman, were the only things assuring Elena that she hadn't just been set-up.

"Hello, Lover. Did you miss me?"

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. So, I know this chapter may have been a little different to what you were expecting, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. These lovers have some interesting times ahead of them. Think you know how Katherine turning up will go? Bet you don't ;) Thanks for reading, and please review.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Picking up exactly where last chapter left off.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked, trying to not to let his panic show.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Katherine asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We should go get a drink. I think I need one."

"I won't say no to a drink, but you should probably get dressed first," she told him.

He'd actually forgotten, in his state of panic, that he was just wearing a towel. If she hadn't reminded him he might have walked out with it on.

"It's dark in there." She tried to move past him, but his body took up the entryway, stopping her in her tracks. "Have you got company?"

This time she ducked under his arm and into the room. He was filled with relief when he saw that Elena had somehow disappeared. He was trying to work out where she'd hidden herself when he noticed that Katherine's gaze had fallen on the candles, two empty wineglasses and abundance of takeaway boxes.

"You do have company," Katherine exclaimed gleefully. "Mind if I join? It's been too long since we've had a three-way. I believe the last time was with…"

"She left," he told her quickly.

"Already? Damon it's only eight o'clock. Are you sure you're not hiding her from me? I don't mind sharing you, you know that."

Katherine started walking around the apartment. He held his breath as she walked into the bathroom. When she walked out frowning, he wondered where Elena had gone. His gaze went to the window. She wouldn't be on the ledge would she? He called himself a dumb-ass as he reminded himself just how many stories above the ground they were. Katherine peered under the bed, and Damon held his breath again, but Elena evidently wasn't hiding under there either.

"Well now this is strange. Company for dinner, and now she's gone. What's going on here?"

"I must have known you were coming," he said to her.

"You should have seen your face when you opened the door."

"It's not everyday my girlfriend turns up unannounced while I'm on tour."

"Well, I wanted to see you, and Elijah wanted someone to 'check in' on how the tour is going. I told him I could do it."

"You're here to check up on Elena?"

"Apparently she's making mistakes. Please tell me you're the reason she's so distracted."

"Sorry, it's not me."

The lie didn't roll easily off his tongue. He _was_ the reason Elena was making mistakes. He was the reason she'd missed her flight. He was the reason she'd been late, and the reason she hadn't realized there were problems until too late. He was the reason she was tired. He was the reason she was here right now, somewhere, hoping she wasn't about to be discovered by the woman who wanted to kill her career. If he'd been wearing a shirt, he would have pulled at the collar, because right now he felt guilt choking him, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"Losing your touch, Salvatore? You've never failed to seduce a mark before."

"She doesn't want to lose her job."

"You like her," it was a statement, not a question.

"She's good at her job."

"No, you _like_ her." Katherine smiled at him now, almost fondly. "You're not supposed to fall in love with her."

Damon swallowed thickly. "I'm not in love with her."

"This isn't _Cruel Intentions_, or _Dangerous Liaisons_."

"I know that, Katherine."

"Those stories didn't end well, and neither will this one if you let your emotions get involved. People like us, Damon; we don't love well."

"I'm well aware of that."

"We're dangerous to those we love, and we destroy those that love us."

He didn't need Katherine to remind him of that. He wasn't a good option for any woman to love. Some had tried, some had succeeded; every one of them had been disappointed. He didn't want marriage, he didn't want children, he didn't want anything that would lead to the disaster his father had created, and his grandfather before him. It wouldn't be fair to ask a woman to take a chance on him.

"You can save the lecture."

"You're meant to get in, seduce, and get out."

"I need a drink."

"Well get dressed, and we'll go down to the bar. Perhaps we can still pick up a third for this little party, and I can remind you what people like us do best."

Damon opened his closet to get a shirt out, and found Elena curled up in the corner of it. Her clothes and her purse were scattered around her. She was wearing the towel she'd wrapped around her earlier, and a look of fear that tore right through him. Perhaps he had needed Katherine's lecture after all. He was already hurting Elena. She was in danger of losing her job, she was absolutely exhausted, and now she was curled up in his closet looking terrified, because he hadn't been able to stay away from her; because he hadn't been able to stop wanting her.

He felt Kat's hands on his back as he grabbed a shirt off one of the hangers. Hoping she hadn't seen Elena, he turned around quickly and kissed her with the intent of making her forget about his publicist. He kicked the closet door closed behind him with his heel, then closed his eyes tightly as Katherine's hands roamed over his chest. Maybe if he got drunk enough tonight, he could pretend that the woman in his bed was actually the one he wanted. Nope, that was never going to happen, but Katherine would have to do, because after tonight, Elena would probably never get back into his bed again.

Elena quietly breathed a quiet sigh of relief as the closet door shut. Then she heard them kissing and Elena thought her night couldn't get any worse.

"I haven't had decent orgasm since you left Mystic Falls," Katherine said. "How about a quickie before we go?"

"Ah, I'm still recovering from the company I had."

"You normally go all night without any trouble."

"I'm tired."

"Maybe you are losing your touch. Perhaps I should give you some pointers with Elena while I'm here."

"Your being here will make her even less inclined to sleep with me."

"I could have sworn from the way I've seen her look at you, that getting her into bed shouldn't have been a problem."

"Well then maybe you're the one losing your touch, Pussycat."

"There's one thing I haven't lost my touch at."

"Come on, let's go."

Elena could hear their voices growing more distant, and then she heard the door close behind them. She waited another five minutes in the closet before she decided it was safe to exit. All the candles had been blown out, the takeaway cartons were in the bin, and the used glasses had been rinsed off and put on the fridge. The debris from their romantic evening had been tidied away. Now if only she could tidy away her own emotions so easily.

Her relief at not being caught was tinged with bitterness. It made her sick to think Katherine was here to check up on her. Elena worked too damn hard most of the time, and she was good at her job. No, she was better than good. She'd made mistakes today, and she'd missed her flight. Should it have happened? No. But she didn't need someone here to keep an eye on her. To think Elijah would think so little of her, after _one_ bad day, made her feel very sour. She didn't need babysitting in her job. She was as good a publicist as Katherine on any day of the week.

And what did Damon see in Katherine anyway? Elena let herself out of Damon's hotel room after she dressed. She'd known Damon was involved when they started this thing, but it didn't make her feel any better. The man she'd spent the last week in bed with, would be spending his night in bed with another woman; the same woman trying to destroy her career. If that wasn't bad enough, Elena would be forced to work side by side with the pair of them for the next few days.

By the time Elena reached her hotel room, she was hideously close to tears. She tried to give herself a lecture; you don't fall in love with the bad boy, you don't date the bad boy, and you don't ever try and change the bad boy. It was just supposed to be about sex. She understood she wasn't supposed to have feelings for him, but Elena realized that they were there. It was difficult to keep her distance when he took care of her the way he had tonight. She brushed her teeth, before lying down on her bed. At least this was a good opportunity for her to get some sleep.

After an hour and a half, she was still wide awake. She missed Damon. She'd become used to spending her nights with him. She'd become used to the physical pleasure and exhaustion she felt with him. She got out of bed, turned the television on, grabbed the remote, and went back to bed. After watching an hour of sitcoms, she changed the channel over to the music station. The music was soft and unobtrusive, and when she finally closed her eyes again, she felt herself being lulled to sleep.

* * *

The next day, Damon was sporting a headache from his excessive night of drinking, and Katherine was pouting because he hadn't been able to get it up for her. He told her it was the alcohol, but it had never been a problem before. The truth was his body knew what it wanted; who it wanted. He couldn't help feeling angry and resentful that Katherine had turned up unannounced and deprived him of weeks of having Elena in his arms. He could break up with Katherine. He didn't think she was going to make his muse magically appear anymore, but Katherine was right; they were two of a kind. They understood each other and the limitations they brought to relationships. Besides, if they split up, Katherine would find another way to go after Elena.

Elena was already waiting for them when they arrived at the function center. He noticed her tapping her foot in the way she did when she was furious about something. It was disturbing that he was relieved to see her, even when she was wearing a look of irritation on her beautiful face. He'd missed her; really missed her, and he'd thought about her all night. She refused to look at him, a sure sign she was upset with him. He couldn't blame her, her job was on the line and it was because he'd talked her into indulging in their lust for each other.

"You're late," she said to Katherine.

"I'm sure Elijah has called you and explained I'll be here to keep an eye on things for the next day or so."

"Yes, he called me, and I told him that I don't need you here."

"If Elijah agrees with you, he'll let me know; otherwise show me what we're doing today, so I can make sure we don't have any more screw-ups like yesterday."

"You're the one who's here late."

"Are you going to argue with me? I'm here now, so show me your itinerary."

Elena passed Katherine the sheet of paper, feeling like she'd just been scolded. The humiliation of having Katherine here to check up on her, combined with the feeling of jealousy she'd experienced as she watched her and Damon walk in together this morning, churned her stomach.

When Damon found Elena at lunchtime he thought it was the closest to miserable he'd ever seen her look.

"I've been looking for you."

"Well, you found me. Where's Katherine?" she asked, without looking at him.

"On a smoker's break." He paused for a moment. "You okay?"

She looked at him for the first time all morning, and the contact was like a punch to the gut. She looked so brave and vulnerable all at the same time, and the need to hold her and touch her again actually took his breath away. She deserved more than he could give her. It was that thought, and not the fact that Katherine was on the loose, that stopped him from reaching out and pulling her into his arms.

"I'm fine," she told him.

"About last night…" he said to her.

"What did I miss?" Katherine asked, behind them.

"Nothing," Damon said quickly.

"I heard you say something about last night. Were you about to tell her about how we spent our first night together in weeks?"

He watched Elena pale visibly, and wanted to throttle the woman next to him. No, he definitely hadn't been about to talk about that.

"Nope."

"What did you do last night, Elena?" Katherine asked curiously.

"I had an early night."

"Probably just as well, considering you overslept and missed your flight yesterday. We didn't have an early night, did we, Damon? In fact it was a very late night," Katherine said, literally purring as she slid her arm through his.

He looked down at Katherine, trying to work out what she was up to. She looked back up at him innocently.

"I don't think she's interested, Kat."

"If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work," Elena said to them.

Damon watched Elena walk away from them, wanting nothing more than to go after her, and knowing full well that he couldn't without threatening everything she'd worked so hard for.

* * *

The next day Katherine told him that Elena had called in sick. It was one of the longest days of his life. After spending every day for the past two weeks working alongside her, not seeing her face was more than a little disconcerting. Moreover, he was worried she wasn't feeling well, and he wanted to know if she was okay. By the time he'd made his way back to the hotel, he'd decided he was going to check on her. Ignoring the thought that Elena would probably prefer not to see him, he waited until Katherine was on a conference call to Elijah, before slipping out to see Elena.

Elena heard the knock on the door, and assumed it was the room service she'd ordered over an hour ago. She'd taken her very first sick day today. She wasn't physically ill, but she felt she deserved a mental health day, and with Katherine around, she could relax knowing everything would be taken care of. If that made her cowardly, she didn't care in the slightest. She'd watched TV all day, read books, listened to music, and had room service bring her something every few hours. Now she was comfortable in her silk robe, after having just soaked in the bath for an hour, and she was looking forward to the chocolate fudge ice-cream that was now waiting at her door. When she opened the door, however, it wasn't her chocolate fudge ice-cream.

"What's wrong?" she asked, noticing the concerned expression on his face right away.

"Are you okay? Katherine said you were sick. Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Really, Damon, I'm okay."

The swift relief Damon felt at seeing her again, and hearing her say she was okay, was quickly replaced with irritation that she'd not been at work. She was avoiding him, and he couldn't blame her for that, but he didn't like missing her. He didn't like worrying about her, and not having her around.

"You're not sick?"

She shook her head. Damon could here music coming from inside the room. She'd been wearing a smile when she opened the door, and she hadn't been expecting him. He wondered who she was smiling for, and why was she wearing nothing but that see-through robe if she was expecting company? He drank in the way the robe was wrapped tightly around her, accentuating the soft curves of her body. Now that he was here, he decided he wasn't going anywhere.

"Can I come in?" he asked her.

She was looking at him warily. "I don't think that's a good idea. Katherine…"

"Is on a conference call for the next forty-five minutes," he said, pushing past her.

"Damon, you can't be here," she told him, as she closed the door. "What if she comes here? What if she finishes early?"

"I needed to see you," he told her. "I've been worrying about you all day."

"As you can see, I'm fine."

"But I'm not."

Elena swallowed as Damon came to stand right in front of her. She could see the way his eyes were blazing with heat.

"I miss you," he told her softly, stroking the side of her face with his hand.

It took every ounce of will power not to lean into his caress.

"You know we can't."

"Just a kiss," he told her.

"Damon–"

She didn't have time to move away, before his lips were on hers. His passion was raw and unrestrained as he kissed her again, and again, and again, driving every thought but surrender from her head. It could never be just a kiss with Damon.

Damon knew that being together wouldn't lead to anything but trouble for both of them, but he couldn't resist this woman; not when she was in his arms again. He was bad for her; this was bad for her, but the need to be buried deep inside her was a drive stronger than anything he'd ever felt before. He picked her up now, and sat her on the polished wooden table behind them, before kissing her again hungrily. He opened her robe up so that he could feast his gaze upon her naked slender body. Perfect – she was perfect in every way. He cupped her breasts in his palms, squeezing them softly, before running the tips of his thumbs over the dusky pink peaks. She cried out when he dipped his head, and captured one of them in his mouth.

"Damon–"

The sound of his name falling from her lips, made him look up at her.

"This needs to stop. We need to stop," he told her desperately, "but _I_ can't stop this."

Elena heard the strain in his voice, and understood his conflict. The danger of what they were doing wasn't lost on her. She knew Katherine could bust them, and Elena knew she didn't want to share him with Katherine, or with any other woman for that matter. It should be enough to extinguish the flames of passion she felt with him, but it wasn't.

"Tell me you don't want this, Elena. Tell me this is over."

She wanted to tell him it was over. She needed to tell him it was over; but she couldn't say no to him. Her inability to say no to him was the reason they were in this predicament in the first place. Her body was going through withdrawals after having to go two nights without his lovemaking, and she needed him to touch her.

"It's not over," she whispered to him.

"It's not over?"

The question in his eyes, and the look of surprise on his face, would have amused her at any other time, but she was more focused on his hands which were stroking her thighs.

"I missed you too."

Damon could hear his heart thundering in his ears as he spread her legs, and slid her hips to the edge of the table, so that her naked heat came into contact with him. He kissed her deeply, while she wrapped her legs around his hips, and worked on unbuttoning his shirt. Once she had his shirt open, he shrugged it from his shoulders. Elena leaned forward and pressed soft kisses against his chest and stomach. She circled his belly button with her tongue, before leaning down lower so that she could trace his hip with her tongue. The contact was so sizzling, he tried to jerk away from it, but she reached for his belt, holding him captive. He stroked his thumbs along her inner thighs, with the intention of driving her as crazy as she drove him.

"Touch me," she demanded, when she'd had enough of his teasing.

"As you wish," he said, sinking a finger into her wet, wet heat.

"God," she cried out, throwing her head back.

She sat spread before him; her white silk gown flowing out around her like an all body halo, her pleasure written all over her face, and her upturned breasts begging for more of his touch. He put his other hand behind her head, pulling her gently towards him, so he could kiss her. He wanted her to feel how much he needed her, how much he'd missed her. He teased her sensitive nub with his thumb, and sunk another finger into her as he kissed her.

Between the erotic kiss he was giving her, and his fingers thrusting in and out of her, Elena was wound so tight that she thought she might literally burst. She had almost reached her peak, when he slowed right down.

"Don't stop, don't stop," she cried.

"I want to taste you."

He crouched down in front of her, and she felt him hook her legs over his shoulders. His hands went under her bottom, as he slid her hips clear off the table and brought her center into direct contact with his mouth. Her body was still on edge, and she whimpered softly as he kissed her between her delicate folds. The sensation was delicious, but the pressure wasn't strong enough to give her body the release it was craving. It was a relief when he finally began to use his tongue on her. Needing something to hold onto, she stretched her arms above her head and gripped the edge of the table she was on. He stroked her with his tongue, changing his rhythm every time she was about to climax.

"Damon, please!"

"Please what?" he murmured against her.

"Make me…"

She screamed with pleasure, as he finally gave her body what it needed. He thrust his tongue inside of her, as wave after wave of exquisite pleasure crashed over her. She was vaguely aware of him placing her hips back on the table, but it was actually the sound of a condom packet being ripped that brought her back to the present. She barely had time to blink before he was he was lifting her hips again, dragging her slightly off the table. Her gaze went to his.

"You might want to hold onto something," he told her.

Her hands reached for the edge of the table again, as he gripped her hips tightly and thrust into her powerfully; the action of being filled so completely, and stretched, ripped a cry from her. She held onto the table tightly as he thrust into her again and again. His strokes were breathtakingly powerful, and her legs were shaking so hard, she had to wrap them around his hips. Her satin robe made it easy for her to slide backwards and forwards on the table to meet each one of his thrusts. The intensity with which he was filling her was more than pleasurable, and when he made slippery passes over her sensitive bundle of nerves with his thumb, she flew over the edge.

"God, Damon, oh god."

He grabbed her hips even more tightly as she contracted around him, surging in and out of her, chanting her name, until he followed her over.

Barely a minute had passed before they heard a knock on the door. Her legs fell from his hips quickly. Damon cursed as he took in Elena's panic stricken face.

"Who is it?" Elena called.

"Room Service."

They both breathed a sigh of relief, and Elena pulled her robe together, and tied the sash around her, before going to open the door.

"Chocolate fudge ice-cream," she told Damon, when she came back with the tub.

"Ice-cream. You were waiting for ice-cream?" asked Damon.

He was dressed now, but his shirt was still unbuttoned. Damon shook his head, feeling more than a little stupid for being jealous of a dessert. He watched Elena grab two spoons, before he joined her on the couch. They sat in silence for several minutes, enjoying the dessert together, before he looked at his watch.

"I need to go."

Elena nodded. "Katherine will be waiting for you."

He heard the slight resentment in her voice, and didn't know if he should apologize or not. If he apologized she might be offended, but he also didn't know exactly why he would be apologizing. There was such a long list of things she could be mad at him for, but the truth was, he was who he was; he couldn't change what he was – not even for her. He wished he could be the type of man she needed, but he wasn't.

"Elena…"

"It's fine, Damon. You should go."

"This thing between us…"

"I think it's fair to say, after today, that we're not going to have much chance of resisting this while we're on tour."

He hadn't been expecting her to say that. "You want to keep doing this?"

She shrugged. "It makes sense. Fighting it didn't work."

"Elena, I'm not a good guy. I don't do good; it's not in me. I can never give you the type of relationship you want."

Elena remembered hearing Katherine tell Damon that they were alike; but he wasn't like Katherine at all. The fact that he was trying to protect her from himself, even now, proved that. What mattered, though, was that he believed Katherine was right. Now he was warning her he couldn't deliver more than just sex. Well, his book had already told her that much. She had feelings for him, feelings that could easily blossom into more; but she was powerless against the physical pull she felt when she was with him. Perhaps if they'd never slept together it would be different, but they had slept together and it wasn't different. So, they would finish this physical relationship between them, and then she would walk away with the experience he'd given her.

"I don't want a relationship with you, Damon. You're my bad boy. Consider this me using you for your knowledge."

"You want to use me for sex?"

His tone was serious, but there was a slight smile playing around his lips.

"Would that be alright?"

Damon didn't know what to make of this situation. On the surface it was everything he could hope for, but he worried that they were diving into waters that were too murky to judge the depth of. He cared about her, and he didn't want to hurt her. It would be much easier for him if she told him they were done instead of telling him she wanted more.

"I never realized just how dangerous this was for you. Even coming here tonight; I didn't think."

Elena knew he wanted her to take the out he was giving her, but he didn't realize that she was as unable to say no to this as he was.

"Perhaps your attempt to teach me fun and spontaneity is paying off."

"You were right to put a time limit on it," he said to her decisively. "When we get back to Mystic Falls this should stop."

"Fine," she said, standing up and walking towards the door. He followed her. "Once the tour is over, meetings will be limited, and we should be able to manage any left over desire. I don't want to do this again while Katherine is here, though."

"That's reasonable," he told her.

"More than reasonable," she mumbled, as she started to do up the buttons on his shirt.

"Elena," he said, gently taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilting her face upwards so that she was looking at him. "I haven't slept with Katherine while she's been here."

"You haven't?"

He shook his head. "I haven't wanted anyone but you since we started this tour."

When she smiled shyly, and blushed, he thought she'd never looked sweeter. He kissed her softly, before opening the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked her.

"You will," she told him.

After he left her room, he checked his watch again. Katherine had told him she would be busy for an hour. He actually had ten minutes up his sleeve, providing she hadn't finished early. By the time he arrived, another five minutes had passed. He was about to enter the room when he heard muffled noise through the door. Thinking maybe she wasn't done, he turned around to leave, but then he heard something that caught his attention.

"He's probably there right now…Damon's never failed to do this for me before, but I think he feels something for her. They are sleeping together; I'd bet my life on it…I'll see you when I get back….my flight is tomorrow…I can't wait either."

He'd known something about this whole thing with Katherine felt off. She wasn't insecure; she wasn't the type to compete or feel threatened. Whenever she'd asked him to do something like this for her before, it had always been because someone had pissed her off. This was different. She was doing this either for someone else, or with someone else. Elena was being set up, but who was behind it? He waited patiently, hoping Katherine would let a name slip, but she didn't; not even when she said goodbye. He vowed to himself that he would find out exactly who wanted to mess with Elena, and tear them limb from limb. Then maybe Elena would remember him as the man who saved her career, instead of the man who ruined it.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so Damon didn't play ball with me in this chapter, and I blame Katherine entirely. Her comments got to Damon more than I thought they would and I was expecting the end conversation between D/E to go VERY differently. When Katherine turns up, I suppose I should expect the unexpected. So who is Katherine working for/working with? All will be revealed...eventually.

Probably a half to a full chapter left of Damon's book tour, and then they'll find themselves in Mystic Falls where hopefully things will be very interesting.

Thank you to everybody reading this, and for everyone who is reviewing. I like to thank you all personally, but lately I've been writing like crazy (thus the more frequent updates), trying to get all my creative juices out on paper before the baby comes. My husband has also been gently, and not so gently, reminding me that with less than 17 weeks before the baby comes, I should probably stop staying up till all hours of the morning. He's right, I know, but I've been cramming in as much me time as possible.

I hope all of you are well, and I sincerely hope this chapter entertained. As always, thanks for reading, and please review.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

One week later, Damon watched Elena laugh and talk with some guy at what felt like his billionth book signing. There had been a rush in the early afternoon, but now it was quiet enough for him to be able to observe her. She wasn't the same woman he'd watched at Ric's bar and Grill six or so weeks ago. When she'd approached her target back then, she'd literally repelled him with her lack of confidence. Now, she'd shaken off all of her nerves, and she was attracting men to her like bees to a honey pot. He would probably be proud of her, if it wasn't for the knot that lodged itself in his gut every single time a guy talked to her, or looked at her. Yesterday he'd almost broken some guys arm when he touched her.

He should be walking on sunshine; he should be happy. He had Elena in his bed every night, and not only was she more than willing to be there, but she was as insatiable as he was, telling him she wanted to learn as much from him as possible. The limit they'd put on their fling made them both desperate to kill the thing between them once and for all. He wanted to make the most of every moment with his publicist, but at the back of his mind he was always counting down the nights before they had to fly back to Mystic Falls.

When they returned home, he still had Katherine to deal with. Katherine had left New York the day after he'd overheard her conversation. He should have told Elena about that conversation days ago, however, he tended to get distracted when they were together.

"Damon Salvatore; no way."

Damon's head snapped around, when he heard the familiar voice from his past. "Alice Westwich. What are you doing here in Boston? Are you still stalking me?"

The brunette curled her lip unattractively. "You still think you're God's gift to women, I see."

"Have you read my book?"

"The only thing I'd use your book for is toilet paper."

Damon chuckled. "You're not the first woman to say that."

"I'm sure I won't be the last either."

"How's Lucy?" he asked her, suddenly serious.

"Is this you pretending to care, or do you actually want to know the answer?"

"I want to know the answer."

"She was a mess when you left."

Damon wondered how the guilt of how he'd treated one person eleven or so years ago, could stay as sharp as ever over the years.

"And now?" he asked her.

"She needed counseling for a little while, but she's back to her old self. She's been engaged for the last three years, and they finally set the date last week."

"That's great news," Damon said to her, genuinely pleased to hear that Lucy was happy.

"Feel better now?" Alice asked him.

"It doesn't change what happened; how I acted."

"I won't argue with that. I suppose I've eased your guilty conscience now. I take that back. A man like you doesn't feel guilt, does he?"

"You wound me, Alice."

"I'm sure," she said, giving him a smile. "What about you, you seeing anyone?"

Damon paused when he realized he'd been about to say yes. He wasn't seeing Elena, not like that.

"I'm steering clear of relationships these days," he said to her.

"That's in the best interests of women everywhere," she said to him.

"You're right," he returned. "So, what brings you into this bookstore, if it's not me?"

"Actually, it is you," she admitted, only looking slightly ashamed. "I was curious to see if you'd turned into some balding, fat guy. Imagine my disappointment."

Damon smirked when she handed over one of his books for her to sign. "This isn't going to be used for toilet paper, is it?" he asked her.

Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "You'll never know."

Elena was in a great mood when she finished talking to Ben. The store clerk had been hitting on her all afternoon. It was amazing just how much difference her arrangement with Damon was making to how she felt about herself. She'd always been confident at work, but the confidence she was gaining both in the bedroom and on a personal level was seeping into all other areas of her life. She felt happier than she had in a very long time. Everything looked brighter and smelt better, and Elena knew she owed that to the man she'd been sharing her bed with for the past couple of weeks. She walked back to where he was seated, to find him chatting away with a brunette.

"Say hi to Lucy, for me," Damon told the brunette.

"Mind if I don't? You screwed her up real good, Salvatore."

"Yeah. That was a stupid idea. It was good to see you anyway, Alice."

The woman named Alice gave Damon a look which said she doubted his sincerity, before giving him a little wave.

"Old friend?" Elena asked him casually, when he turned around and saw her standing there.

"Friend of an ex-girlfriend," he told her.

Damon hoped she wouldn't ask him any more questions. He had no idea how long she'd been standing there for, or what she'd heard, but he had no desire to rehash what he did to Lucy. Elena knew he was bad, and that was enough for him; he didn't need her to discover just how bad he had been to the first nice girl he'd tried to have a relationship with. He was playing at being the good guy with Elena, but it didn't erase the way he'd acted in his past; it didn't erase who he was.

Elena sighed inwardly, when she noticed Damon wearing the same expression he had when she'd asked him about his writer's block. It was the 'I don't want to talk about it look.' She knew better than to try and get him to open up. If she felt slightly hurt by his refusal to share with her, or disappointed that she wouldn't find out about this girl named Lucy, she tried not to show it.

"Ready to go?" she asked him.

He nodded. The book store was only five minutes walk from the hotel, so they started to walk back together. After two minutes of silence, in which Damon seemed completely absent, she put her hand on his arm. He turned to look at her.

"Is everything okay?" she asked him.

"I need to talk to you about something," he said to her in a tone she'd never heard him use before.

"Okay," she said to him.

She waited for him to start a conversation, but he said nothing further. By the time they got back to the hotel, Elena's curiosity was getting the better of her. She walked back to her room, and changed her clothes, before she made her way to his room.

"Dinner," he said to her, once he'd let her in. "We should eat."

"Room Service?" she asked him, feeling quite nervous suddenly.

Damon knew once he touched Elena, they would end up in bed. He didn't want to talk about Katherine while they were in bed together.

"As tempting as that is, I think we should go out," he said to her. Maybe the outing would distract him from thinking about Alice and Lucy too.

"Oh."

They had spent every non-working hour together within the confines of their hotel rooms, and now he wanted to go out. Elena couldn't work out if this was good or not.

"Should I change again?" she asked him.

"You're fine. Let's go."

They walked out of the hotel and along the main street, until they found a restaurant that looked close to empty. As they were seated at the table Elena couldn't help thinking this felt a bit like a date. She wondered what it would be like if they were to actually date when they got home; what it would be like if they kept their affair going.

"You wanted to talk to me," she reminded him, after they'd ordered.

"Have you ever thought about quitting your job?" he asked her.

Elena looked at him. He was serious. Had he been thinking along the same lines as she was? Did he want to keep things going when they got back to Mystic Falls? A thrill of excitement ran through her at the thought.

"Why?" she asked him.

"I think Katherine is working with someone to get you fired."

"Oh."

It wasn't until Damon said those words that Elena realized she had been holding her breath. Had she really believed he was going to ask her to quit her job so they could keep doing this? Feeling more than a little stupid, she told herself she wouldn't have considered it anyway; that she'd never leave her job to be with him. Katherine was working with someone else. Wait. What?

"Did you hear me, Elena?"

"Katherine is working with someone?"

"You remember that day I came to see you, when I thought you were sick?"

She nodded, and Damon told her what he'd heard that night. "I was going to say something straight away, but I wanted to find out more first. Unfortunately, you're the best person to help me find out who Katherine is working with."

"You're sure?"

"I realize this must be a shock, but…you need to need to be careful when you get home."

"I need to be careful," she repeated. "You're not the first person to tell me that."

"What are you talking about?"

"Rose. The woman I told you about, who was fired a few weeks ago; I saw her in the coffee shop near work the week before the tour started, and she told me to be careful."

"You didn't think that was strange at the time?"

"I did; especially since she was meeting with two other girls who had also lost their jobs for sleeping with their clients."

"Do you have any idea who was behind it?"

"I just assumed it was Katherine, but…obviously she's not working alone."

"I checked Katherine's phone as soon as soon as I had the chance. I found the call information."

"What did you find out?"

"It just showed up as a call from Elijah's phone."

"Elijah?"

"It could be someone using his phone."

"I suppose."

"Elena, why would your boss try to set this up? It doesn't make sense. It has to be someone else."

"I know it doesn't make sense," she said to him. "None of this makes sense."

Damon was relieved to finally hear some anger in her voice. When he'd told her that Katherine was working with someone, he'd expected a volcano erupting, not the quiet confusion, and a few questions.

"I don't deserve this," she told him. "I work hard, Damon. I have been nothing but a model employee since I started working at Mystic Falls PR. Every account I've had, I've worked my ass off for. There is nothing I wouldn't do for my clients."

Damon thought it was a testament to how truly pissed she was that she didn't even see how funny that last comment was. He chose not to interrupt her flow of steam; it seemed like she was just getting started.

"You know what I get? Elijah breathing down my throat, after I had one bad day. One bad day! And Katherine sent out to check up on me. I have never made a mistake before, and I didn't deserve that. And Katherine – she's always there. She takes every opportunity to demean me, belittle me, and make my life miserable."

She stopped suddenly, as if just realizing who she was talking to. "I'm sorry," she said to him. "I'm venting. This isn't appropriate."

"You need to, Elena. It's healthy."

"I shouldn't be talking to you…about this."

He reached across the table and took her hand in his. "I want you to. You can talk to me."

"Katherine is your girlfriend, and you're a client of the firm…"

"Elena." He waited until she was quietly looking at him. "I want to help. Let me help."

"Why? Why do you want to help? I don't understand, Damon. Why are you doing any of this?"

"I care about you," he said to her. "Do I need another reason?"

"You and Katherine…"

"Are over."

"You broke up with her?"

"Not officially, but it's over. I was using her. She was using me. It wasn't a real relationship."

"This isn't a real relationship either," she said to him.

"No," he returned. "It's not. I don't do relationships."

"Is that because of Lucy?" she asked him.

The question slipped out before Elena could stop it. She'd had no intention of asking him, but they were talking about relationships, and she'd said the other woman's name before she could think better of it.

"I know I don't have the right to ask, but I overheard the end of your conversation."

Damon sat back in the chair and looked at her. He deliberated for a moment before he spoke again. "There have been many things in my past that I'm not proud of. The way I treated her is the thing I'm probably most ashamed of. She's the only girl I ever tried to have a relationship with, and I messed it up big time. I messed her up big time."

"You'd never try a relationship again then?" she asked him.

The tension in the air between them suddenly felt far too thick to breathe in, and Damon was feeling hot; his palms were sweating, and he actually felt faint. He reached for his water glass, and downed the contents, before refilling it. She didn't understand.

"I'm not good relationship material. I told you that from the start."

"You did, and I don't expect any more from you."

Damon was totally confused right now. "You don't?"

"No."

Elena knew Damon Salvatore didn't do relationships, but she had just needed to hear him say it again. The past couple of weeks, bar Katherine's appearance, had been amazing. She'd wondered if all the great sex and late night conversations they were having had changed his mind. They shared a connection. She knew it was crazy to think he might change his whole stance on relationships for her, but she'd realized tonight that she had been holding onto a sliver of hope that he would. Now that sliver was gone, and she could continue this with a clear head. When the tour was over they would both walk away; she wouldn't let hope slip in again.

Damon was now eyeing her now with such a wary expression on his face that she laughed. "Sorry," she said to him, when he glared at her.

"What is so funny?" he all but growled at her.

"You look so scared."

"Scared?"

Damon wasn't scared; he was completely freaking out right now. One moment they had been talking about her job, and the next she was asking him about a relationship. Talking about that stuff would normally make him run for the hills without breaking a sweat, but with Elena he'd just about had a panic attack. Why? She mattered. He cared about her more than he'd cared about anyone in a very long time. That was exactly why he couldn't enter into a relationship with her. Even now Katherine's words were playing over in his head.

_"We're dangerous to those we love, and we destroy those that love us."_

That, combined with the seeing Alice today, told him a relationship was a bad idea. While the idea of a relationship with Elena appealed to him, he couldn't repeat his mistakes. He wouldn't let history repeat itself.

"You're not upset?" he asked her.

"I'm not upset. I knew what this was; what this is," she told him quietly.

"Then why did you ask if I'd ever try a relationship again?"

"Because I needed to hear you say it. The last week has been…"

"Incredible," he finished for her softly.

"Yes," she said to him, "and it would be easy to believe that what we're doing is more than sex. Hearing you say it again just helped me remember that there is nothing more between us."

There was a lot more between them, Damon wanted to tell her, but what would be the point in that? Nothing would ever come of it.

"So, what are you going to do about work?" he asked her, changing the subject back to her job.

"I…I don't know. I could look for a new job I suppose. They haven't fired me, and I'm entitled to my references."

"But?"

"But then I'm starting out at the bottom again, or close enough to, trying to work my way up, and I miss out on my promotion."

"Maybe we need to focus less on who is trying to get you fired, and focus on why," Damon said to her.

"The why probably goes along with the who."

"So let's start with Rose. If she warned you to be careful, then she must know something."

"That's a good point," she said to him.

"Didn't you think it was suspicious that three women who have been fired for the same thing, from the same firm, were meeting up?"

"I assumed they were going to start their own firm," Elena told him.

"Maybe they're going to sue Mystic Falls PR."

"What for?"

"Unfair dismissal."

"They can't," Elena said to him. "The rules are the rules."

"Do you know what the laws are? How did Elijah even prove that it happened? Did any of the girls deny it?"

"I don't know," Elena told him. "I've never stopped to ask those questions before now."

"Say Katherine caught us, but both you and I denied it. Could Elijah still fire you?"

"I don't know."

"You need to find out."

"My sister-in-law is a lawyer. She might know, and if she doesn't she could probably look into it."

"Worst case scenario, you're fired, what happens then?" Damon asked her.

"Well Rose's reputation was smeared before she'd even left the company. Image is everything in the PR business. No-one wants to hire a publicist who has a reputation for sleeping with clients."

"Then your options are; you leave the company now, before anything happens, or you try and fight this, and we find out what the hell is going on in that company you work for. What do you want to do?"

Elena thought about things for a moment. She didn't know if it was related to this affair she was having with Damon or not, but she wanted to take charge of this situation. She wanted to kick but. "I want to stay and fight."

"Okay then," Damon said, "when we get back to Mystic Falls, we start digging."

Things would be over between them when they returned to Mystic Falls, Elena thought, but he still wanted to help her. As they started eating, Elena tried not to think about how hard it would be to see him and not remember everything he made her feel, in bed, and out of it.

* * *

Damon was furious. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so angry. It was their last night together and Elena had told him she wasn't available until ten o'clock. When he'd asked what was so important, she had refused to answer him. He'd spent the last two hours in the bar fueling his bad mood. When his watch read nine-thirty he made his way back to his room, hoping he'd have enough time to calm down before she arrived. He'd contemplated staying in the bar for another hour or so to spite her, but somehow he felt that he would just be punishing himself. Besides, Elena would make up for every minute they'd lost tonight. If she thought he was going to let her sleep tonight, she was going to be severely disappointed.

Damon didn't even have time to wonder why it was completely dark in the room, before a lamp was flicked on and he saw Elena sitting on his bed.

"You kept me waiting," she said to him.

"You said ten o'clock," he growled.

She walked over to him, and he thought she was going to kiss him, but instead he felt a blindfold being slipped over his eyes, and tied at the back of his head.

"What the f…"

A hand was pushed over his mouth. He wondered if he was about to see Elena the dominatrix.

"It's our last night together," she said to him softly.

"I know that," he mumbled under her hand.

"Don't make me gag you," she said to him.

"I'm really not in the mood to be punished right now."

He still felt edgy and irritable, but having her closer eased it a little.

"Shh."

He felt himself being guided deeper into the room, and then she pushed his chest, getting him to sit on a chair.

"The last two weeks, you've been my bad boy. I've been using you for your knowledge," she said to him. Damon could feel her hot breath in his ear as she whispered to him. She was so close he could smell the delicate scent she'd told him was maple blossom.

"Tonight, I wanted to show you what an excellent teacher you've been. Consider this my final examination. This is my way of saying thank you."

The words sounded so heartfelt, that the rest of his anger slipped away. She definitely didn't need to thank him. The pleasure had been all his.

"You taught me to take charge in the bedroom," she said to him, sliding onto his lap. She put a hand on each side of his face and kissed him. She tasted of strawberries and champagne, and he wondered if she'd gotten tipsy before starting this tonight. Her kiss was slow and sensual. As her tongue stroked his, he felt himself beginning to harden.

"Can I touch you?" he asked her breathlessly, when they broke apart.

"When I tell you to," she told him, unbuttoning his shirt.

"You've taught me to be more confident," she said to him, kissing his neck, his jaw, and running her hands over his chest. When her hands reached his belt, she had him unbuckled in record time. He stood briefly so she could take down his jeans. He sat back down and he felt her remove his boots and socks, and jeans from around his ankles.

"You taught me what it feels like to be worshiped," she said to him, spreading his knees and kissing along his inner thighs until she reached his boxers. Every touch, every kiss, every word, sent wave after wave of hot lust slamming through him.

"Elena."

"You taught me to tease," she said to him, slipping her hands inside his boxers and touching him everywhere but _there_. He held his breath as her hand came so, so close, but then moved away. Her gratitude was starting to feel like punishment now. He reached out to touch her, expecting her to slap his hands away, but she didn't. Instead she guided his hands up to her breasts. The material was lacy and thin, and he groaned as he ran his fingertips over her.

"You taught me how important a touch can be," she told him breathlessly, guiding his hands over bare stomach, down to her garters, where he fingered the lacy material. He wondered what color they were briefly, before she moved his hands up to her lacy panties. He leaned forward, as he touched her with both hands, memorizing every line and indentation; memorizing how soft she felt to touch, and the feminine scent of her skin. She guided one of his hands between her legs, wanting him to touch her.

"Crotchless," he said, trying to draw breath into his lungs, as his fingers touched naked slick flesh.

"Damon," she cried, as he plunged a finger inside her. Her hands were on his shoulders, her fingernails digging into the skin there. She rocked her hips, as he stroked her.

"Tell me this thank you has a happy ending," he said to her.

"It does," she assured him, indicating she wanted to move away for a minute.

When she touched him again, she grabbed the waistband of his boxers, and he moved so she could draw his boxers off hips and down his legs.

"You taught me how to receive pleasure," she whispered, before she spread his knees again and reached for him. He was literally shaking as she took him into her mouth. He was close to climax, when she stopped. He was desperately trying to hold off the thought that this last night would never be enough, as he felt her straddle him once more. His hands went to her hips, and they both groaned out loud as she sank onto his length.

"I want to see you," he told her.

"Feel me," she told him in return.

He could feel her. He could feel his back pressed against the velvet back of the chair, but everywhere else he could feel her. He tasted the champagne on her tongue again as she kissed him. He could smell her perfume in her hair, and he could hear her whimpers and cries when she stopped kissing him, and started to move. His hands on her hips helped her move up and down easily. When he heard, and felt, the start of her orgasm, he whipped the blindfold off so he could watch her. She looked into his eyes as she reached her climax, and as she held on to him and said his name out loud, he finally allowed himself to admit the truth for the first time. He was in love with her.

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed. Next chapter the characters return to Mystic Falls. Have a great weekend. Thanks for reading, and please review.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: My longest chapter yet. This chapter was really exciting for me to write, and I loved every minute I spent writing it. Where last chapter did not come easily, this one flew onto the paper. I really hope you like it.

Warning: Writing of a pregnant, sentimental, sappy and hopeless romantic ahead. Enter at your own risk. Angst, drama and cliches - you've been warned.

* * *

**Chapter 14**

They were quiet the whole way to the airport. They weren't sharing a flight back to Mystic Falls, and Elena thought it was only fitting that they would arrive home separately. She had the later flight, but she'd decided to go the airport and see him off. She wanted to say goodbye to him, and what they'd shared properly. Their farewell would be closure.

As they walked into the airport she tried not to think about how amazing their last night together had been. If she remembered how gentle he'd been, or how he'd looked at her during the last time they'd made love, she would surely fall apart. She blinked back the tears, because she didn't want to ruin this moment. She didn't want him to see how hard this was for her.

"So," she said to him, when the moment came for him to go through the gate.

"So," he echoed.

"This is it."

"Yeah."

Damon wrapped his arms around her, and held her tight. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. They stood wrapped in each other's embrace, until the final boarding message was played over the speakers.

"I have to go," he whispered in her ear.

She forced herself to look up and meet his eyes.

"That last week really flew," she said, trying not to choke on the words.

She had a lump in her throat that felt like a golf ball. His kiss was painfully sweet, and when he pulled away, Elena knew it was officially over.

"I'll see you back in Mystic Falls."

She could only nod. Once he turned around, she walked straight towards the exit. She couldn't bear one more goodbye, and she couldn't stand to see his plane take off. As she neared the doors, she literally sprinted out of them, and into a waiting cab. She gave the address of her hotel to the driver, and then she burst into tears.

Damon took his seat on the plane and told himself he'd done the right thing. For once in his life he was putting someone before himself. If he'd unburdened himself, and told her he loved her, she would have believed he was capable of giving her the relationship she wanted. He wasn't. It had physically hurt to walk away from her; his chest felt tight, he was having trouble breathing, and his heart actually ached.

Wanting a distraction from what he was feeling, he rummaged through his carry-on and found his pen and black notebook. He opened the cover and flipped to the first empty page. The blank screen, and the blank page had been too much of a hurdle in the past months, but it wasn't this time. Whatever Katherine had turned off when they broke up, had been turned back on. The words flowed easily, and by the time the plane landed, he had no idea what his book was about, but he knew he had something.

When Elena arrived home Mystic Falls it was late, and her apartment was cold, dark and empty.

"Mr Blobby," she called, turning on the light.

She waited for Mr Blobby to meow and grace her with his company, before she remembered that Mr Blobby was with Bonnie. She was completely and utterly alone. If she hadn't shed all of her tears earlier, she would have cried now. She fiddled with the heating, turned on every light in the apartment and put the TV on, desperate for noise and company of any kind.

The last three weeks Elena had had someone to share her meals with; her bed with, and her nights with. Her evenings had been filled with conversation and love making, and while she would never regret it, coming back to her isolated existence was harsh and heart-breaking. How had she let herself become so lonely? Why had she neglected her personal life for so long? It didn't matter. What mattered was that she'd changed. She felt as if she was spreading her wings as a woman. She felt as if Damon had helped her find a part of herself that had been buried and almost shattered years ago. Now she needed to give herself time to create the life she wanted. She ignored the thought that that life involved Damon.

She began to unpack, and when she emptied her purse, her mobile spilled onto the counter. She contemplated calling him. It couldn't hurt to make sure he got home okay. He was still her client. She picked up the phone and scrolled through the phone for his number. She lingered with her finger over the call button for thirty seconds, before she put the phone down and took a breath. What would she say to him? 'I miss you desperately and I can't bear not to hear the sound of your voice for a night.' She wasn't that pathetic. He had walked away from her today; just like he said he would all along. There had been no sappy airport scene where he'd run after her and declared his love for her. This wasn't a movie, or a romance novel; this was real life where the girl didn't always get the guy.

When Elena crawled into her bed, she noticed the bed sheets were cold. She missed his warmth; she missed his touch, she missed him. She read an old mystery she had lying around, trying to put herself to sleep. Once an hour had passed, and she was still wide-eyed, and alert, she gave up. She opened the top draw of her bedside table and looked at Ian. Nope, she couldn't; not tonight. Maybe in a week, when she didn't remember quite so well what it felt like to be touched and caressed with real hands and lips. She knew now that the fantasy didn't live up to the reality. She sighed, turned off her lamp, and closed her eyes, hoping sleep would eventually claim her.

* * *

The next day was Wednesday, and she returned to work straight away. While she'd had the option of taking a few days off, she didn't want to stay in her apartment after being surrounded by people for the past four weeks. Damon on the other hand had nothing scheduled for another week or so.

They had agreed to work together to get to the bottom of this thing with Katherine, but she couldn't bring herself to call him and ask if he was still going to help her. Besides, she could contact Rose and speak to Bonnie herself, anyway. She tried to get in touch with Rose several times during the next three days, but she didn't get an answer. She left a message twice, and hoped Rose would call her back.

Bonnie had had food poisoning when Elena went to pick up Mr Blobby, and even though Elena was desperate to share her problem, she decided it could wait. They had agreed to meet up at Ric's on Friday and Elena thought it could wait until then.

She tried not to feel frustrated by the fact she had encountered a couple of set-backs, but she found it difficult not having anyone to talk to. She thought about calling Damon everyday, but she kept telling herself she could deal with this on her own. He would call her if he wanted to help. By Friday she hadn't heard anything from him. She wondered if he missed her the way she missed him. Did he think about her at all?

When she walked into Ric's on Friday, she looked around for him straight away. She was swamped with disappointment when she didn't see him. She looked around for her girls, but they weren't at the usual table. It took a moment to spot them in one of the booths towards the back of the building. After ordering her drink, she made her way over to the booth where they were both sitting.

"New spot?" Elena asked them.

"Some guys from the accounting firm down the street get here before us on Fridays now," Caroline told her grumpily.

Elena looked at the group sitting at the table, and saw Stefan was among them. She deliberated walking over and saying hi, but decided not to. She needed to try and stop thinking about her client, and talking to his brother wouldn't help. She sat at the table and looked at the two girls sitting opposite her. Bonnie still looked off color, and Caroline looked miserable.

They all needed to talk, Elena thought. After asking a few questions, she found out that Caroline had been seeing a guy who had just dumped her by SMS an hour ago, and Bonnie was still feeling sick after her bout of food poisoning. After counseling her friends, they finally asked her to fill them in on the book tour.

"I need legal advice," Elena told her friends.

"I'm your woman," said Bonnie, twirling the straw in her glass.

Elena took a deep breath and blew it out. "Can I be fired for sleeping with my client?"

"You slept with Damon?" Caroline squealed.

"Shh. You can't tell anyone."

"Of course," Caroline said, sounding slightly offended. "I would never."

"What were you thinking, E?" Bonnie asked.

"What's to think about?" quipped Caroline. "He's Damon Salvatore."

"Exactly," Bonnie said, shaking her head, "the man is a notorious womanizer and chauvinist. I thought you wanted a relationship."

"I do," Elena told her friend. "We had a fling. It was fun. It's over."

Her heart squeezed painfully as she said the word over.

"And you're okay?" Bonnie asked her.

"I'm fine. I'm better than fine; I'm great. I have a new lease on life."

"Well in answer to your question; if the company has rules against it, then yes, you can be fired."

"Great," Elena muttered. "What if we both denied it?"

"One of you would need to admit to it," Bonnie told her. "You can't be fired if both of you state it isn't true, and they have no proof."

"What if someone else came forward and said it happened?"

"If you and Damon both denied it, they wouldn't have the law behind them, but that might not stop them from firing you anyway."

"Is that grounds for unfair dismissal?"

"I'd have to look into it. But obviously you trust him not to say anything, and you don't have to worry about anyone stepping forward." There was a pause. "Do you?"

Elena sighed and filled the two of them in on Katherine and the fact she was working with someone to get her fired.

"And you still slept with him, after all that?" Bonnie asked in a voice laced with disapproval.

"I'll bet it was worth it," Caroline said, breaking the tense mood by giggling.

Elena broke into a smile, and nodded. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"I want to hear _everything_," Caroline told her.

"I don't kiss and tell," Elena said, unable to keep her grin from spreading.

"Come on, Elena," Bonnie said, picking up on her friend's happiness, and smiling a little now. "No holding out. We're your girlfriends. If it really was that good, I want to hear _all_ about it."

"Okay," Elena said, choosing to share some of the less juicy and personal parts of her time on tour.

By the time she'd finished dishing the dirt, the three girls were laughing and talking, and Elena felt great. Then she saw him enter the bar. She knew it was him right away. She felt dizzy as the breath left her lungs, and her heart started slamming against her rib cage. It had been three and a half days since she'd seen him, and she felt so nervous. She was wondering if she should go up and say hi, when he turned around and put his arm around the blonde who had walked in behind him.

"Isn't that Damon?" Bonnie asked, noticing Elena staring into the distance. "Who is he with?"

"I don't know," Elena said.

"It's probably his sister," Caroline said optimistically.

"I don't think he has one," she told Caroline.

When the blonde leaned in and kissed Damon on the lips, all of them knew it wasn't his sister. Elena's question had been answered; he hadn't missed her at all.

"Do you want to go?" Bonnie asked, when Damon took a seat at the bar.

Elena shook her head, arranging her hair so it covered the side of her face. They had a booth in the back where they couldn't be seen very well. If she got up, Damon might see her, and she didn't want the awkward conversation of, 'hey, this is the new chick I'm banging.'

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked her.

"I'm fine," Elena told both of them. "It was just sex."

If that was the truth, Elena thought, why did it feel as if her heart was being torn in two right now? Why did seeing him with someone else literally make her feel sick?

"It doesn't bother you at all?" Bonnie asked.

The truth was she hadn't been prepared for this; she hadn't been prepared for what it would feel like to actually see him with someone else. It wasn't even Katherine; it was someone new. Elena thought she could walk away, and shelve the feelings she had for him, but now that seemed like naïve and foolish thinking. The feelings that had been building from the start were still there, stronger than ever.

"Elena?"

"Sorry, Bonnie, what did you ask me?"

Bonnie studied her for a moment before voicing Elena's biggest fear. "God, Elena, you're in love with him."

Elena wanted to deny it, and tell her friend she was crazy, but the words rang with so much truth, she was left speechless.

"Tell me you're not," Bonnie said to her, when Elena remained quiet.

"We said we would both walk away. It wasn't meant to happen."

"But it did," Bonnie finished for her.

"Oh, Elena," Caroline said, moving around to Elena's side of the booth, so she could sit with her, and put her arm around her. Bonnie reached over and put her hand over Elena's.

"I'll be fine," she told her girlfriends.

Bonnie and Caroline nodded. That sat quietly for a while, all of them darting glances towards the bar. Fortunately he never looked their way. Damon and his companion left the bar about an hour after they'd arrived. Elena wanted to cry when she saw them leave together. They were probably going back to his place, or to hers. She knew his routine well; a couple of drinks with light conversation, and then hours and hours of sex.

She was feeling pretty stupid right about now. She'd just spent the better part of thirty minutes telling her girlfriends how amazing her time away had been. Having them witness the man she'd been talking about walk into the bar with someone else was humiliating. She felt like she'd been publicly slapped in the face. It was unfortunate that she had had to see him with another woman for her to realize what she really felt for him. Not that her feelings mattered. Their thing was over.

She felt the prick of tears behind her eyes, but she would not cry them. Even if what they had shared meant little to him, it had still been life changing for her. She took a deep breath and remembered he'd given her a confidence boost in the bedroom that she had desperately needed. He'd made her see herself a different way. He had made a difference in her life, and now it was time to move on.

Once Damon and his blonde were long gone, and Elena felt she could move, she went up to the bar to buy another round of drinks. On her way back to the table, she bumped into someone.

"You know that's the second time you've bumped into me in two months."

"Stefan," Elena said, sipping the beer that had spilled onto her hand. "Hi."

"Hi," he said, smiling. "Damon was here. He told me you guys just got back from your tour."

"Third day back," she told him.

Her gaze drifted across to the guy Stefan was standing next to. He reminded her a little of Damon. His hair was dark, but it was short and spiky. His eyes were blue, but they were a dark, intense blue, and he was wearing a leather jacket over a black shirt.

"This is Chris," Stefan told her. "Chris, this is Elena."

"Let me grab those for you," Chris said to her, taking two of the drinks off her.

"Thanks," she said to him, with a smile.

He smiled back at her, revealing dimples. He was cute.

"The guys were just leaving, but it looks like you're staying. Mind if we join you?"

"Sure," she told Stefan.

She didn't want to spend time with Damon's brother right now, but it would be rude to say no. They followed her back to the booth.

"Bonnie, Caroline, this is Stefan and Chris."

They both said hi, though Bonnie gave her a strange look.

"Stefan is Damon's brother," Elena explained. "I met him at Damon's party a while ago."

"I was at that party. I don't remember seeing you there." Caroline said, perking up considerably when she laid eyes on Stefan.

Caroline very obviously ran her eyes over him. Elena cringed inwardly, but Stefan seemed more amused by it than anything. Elena sat in the booth and Chris slid in next to her. Stefan pulled a chair away from a table, where it wasn't being used, and parked himself next to Caroline. After an initial moment of awkwardness, conversation flowed well, and the five of them had a good time together.

* * *

"_I waited for you, for seven years, and now it's too late."_

"_I wrote you 365 letters. I wrote you every day for a year."_

"_You wrote me?"_

"_Yes! It wasn't over. It still isn't over._"

Elena let the tears fall, as she watched Ryan Gosling kiss Rachel McAdams on the screen. Now they had chemistry. Noah and Allie were meant to be together. Why couldn't real life be like that? She had given herself permission to spend Saturday night crying, under the guise of watching sappy movies. The tears were streaking down her face when someone knocked on her apartment door. Looking at the clock on the wall, she saw it was nine o'clock. She wiped her eyes, and walked to the door so she could look through the peephole. _Damon_. What was he doing here?

"Open up, Elena," he said, sounding tired. "Come on, I saw you look at me."

When she heard him tap on the peephole, she opened the door in a hurry. "You're not supposed to be able to see me."

He smirked at her as he walked in. Right, he hadn't seen her at all. The scent of his aftershave brought back memory after memory of their time away together.

"It's nine o'clock," she told him abruptly.

Elena had no idea why the first thing out of her mouth was the time. Damon raised an eyebrow, and looked her over. She crossed her arms defensively; aware this wasn't her finest moment. Her hair was in a messy ponytail; her eyes were probably puffy from crying, and she was wearing a shirt that was too small and sweatpants. She wasn't even wearing a bra. Apparently that didn't matter; he still wanted her. The look of desire on his face, and her answering arousal, angered her. He hadn't spoken a word to her since they arrived back home, and he'd moved on. How dare he show up at her home and make her want him again.

"I went to see Rose today," he said to her.

"You've spoken to Rose? I've been trying to get in touch with her since Tuesday."

"She's out of town, working with the horses of some friends of hers in the country."

"I left her messages," Elena told him.

"She doesn't get reception out there."

"Then how…?"

"I had time. I tracked her down."

"Why would you do that?"

He looked at her as if she had been dropped on her head. "I said I would help. I'm here because I thought you might want to hear what she said."

"At nine o'clock at night?"

"I just got back into town after a four hour drive. I'm tired, I'm hungry and I just want a drink, but if you're busy I can leave."

His anger caught her off guard and she felt guilty straight away. He did look tired.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"Don't go to any trouble," he flung at her, giving her a dark look.

"I'm sorry," she told him, feeling ashamed by her lack of hospitality when he'd spent so much time helping her. "Do you want coffee, beer, or Coke?"

It wasn't his fault she'd done the stupid thing and fallen in love with him. She knew the rules. It wasn't his fault that she desperately wanted more of him, and more from him. It wasn't his fault she'd missed him terribly, and having him in her apartment felt not only unreal, but too good to be true.

"Coffee," he said. Then he changed his mind, "actually, make that a beer."

"One beer coming up."

She motioned for him to have a seat on one of the bench stools, before opening the fridge and taking out a beer. She turned on the kettle, and put a teabag into her mug.

"Do you want something to eat?" she asked, remembering he'd said he was hungry.

"What have you got?" he asked her.

"I can make pasta."

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes, but I don't mind making something," she told him. He looked at her like he didn't believe her. "Really, I want to. You've been on the road for how long today?"

"Eight hours in total."

"I think that definitely deserves a meal," she said to him.

"At nine o'clock at night?" he asked; his lips quirking into a smile. A smile she'd missed far too much.

She found her gaze lingering on his lips for a moment too long. When her gaze flicked up to meet his, his eyes had darkened. She turned away quickly, before he saw her flush. She started taking out pots and pans and tried to distract herself from the fact that she was making dinner for the man she loved, in her apartment, on a Saturday night.

Damon watched as Elena started chopping an onion. She looked good; no, she looked amazing. He'd been able to get through no more than four days without seeing her. He'd purposely taken this trip today, so he had a legitimate excuse to visit his publicist. Not that Elena was happy to see him. He told himself he wasn't hurt over her lack of welcome, but she obviously hadn't missed him the way he'd missed her.

Working on his novel was the only thing that had stopped him from banging her door down, and demanding to see her. Even when he was writing, she was still on his mind all the time. In fact, he found himself wondering constantly, 'what would Elena think about this?'

Last night he'd been so desperate to see her that he'd driven to her apartment and waited for her to come home from work. When she hadn't shown up, he'd left her apartment thinking he needed to do something to stop thinking about her. They'd ended their affair for a reason. It was dangerous to continue their affair in Mystic Falls, and he didn't want to risk hurting her. He needed a distraction.

Missy Taylor was always up for a booty call, and she'd been only too happy to hear from him. When she'd suggested they go to Ric's Bar and Grill, he'd tried to talk her out of it, thinking Elena might be there. Fortunately he hadn't seen Elena there, but he'd been nervous about running into her anyway. He wasn't doing anything wrong, but it had felt wrong. Despite the fact he'd had every intention of sleeping with Missy, when they left the bar, he'd dropped her home and told her he had an early morning.

"Damon?"

"Hmm?"

"I asked you what Rose said. How did you even get her to talk to you?"

"I told her I was a friend of yours; but she remembered I was your client."

"You didn't tell her we've been sleeping together, did you?"

"She figured it out."

"Damon…"

"You don't need to worry about Rose, Elena. You have a much bigger problem."

Her eyes widened, and she stopped stirring the sauce.

"Who is it? Who's working with Katherine?"

"It's your boss."

"Elijah? Why?"

"That, I don't know. Rose and the other girls were all targeted, but for different reasons."

"Do you know what they were?"

"Lexie had a sexual harassment case pending against Elijah. Conveniently that was dropped when she was dismissed. Elijah tried to blackmail Anna into sleeping with him, after she slept with her client."

"And Rose?"

"And Rose had just gained access to information that could bring down Mystic Falls PR."

"Why hasn't she used it?"

"Because one, she doesn't have access anymore, and two, Elijah made sure her name was dirt to everyone in town. No-one will believe her."

"Bonnie told me that the client or the employee needs to admit to a relationship for someone to be sacked legally."

"The client admitted it in all three cases," Damon told her.

"Katherine," she said quietly. "They all did it for her."

Elena turned back to the stove, so he couldn't see her face.

"I won't say anything, Elena. You can trust me."

She nodded, and kept stirring, and Damon wondered if she believed him. She had no clue how he felt about her. He was still calling himself all kinds of fool for falling in love with her. Love wasn't an emotion that sat well with him, because he didn't trust himself to do the right thing with it. She turned back to face him.

"It still doesn't explain why I'm being targeted."

"I know," he told her. "But you were right about one thing."

"What's that?"

"They are starting their own company. If you want to buy in, Rose said you're more than welcome to. She said she'd need to talk to the other girls first, but there shouldn't be a problem."

"That's nice of her," she told him quietly.

"It would be tough. Rose is worried that the mud Elijah has smeared about all of them will keep people away. The offer is there anyway."

If Elijah even so much as laid a finger on Elena, Damon would make sure he regretted it for the rest of his life. He didn't want Elena working there anymore, but he couldn't tell her to quit her job. If she decided she wanted to stay, he would just do everything he could do to protect her.

Elena nodded. "I'll think about it. This is ready," she told him, turning off the gas.

Elena served Damon's food onto a plate, and tried to process the information he'd just given her. While the information was something she needed, and wanted to know, she just felt worse after hearing it. Her boss and colleague were out to get her, and she had no idea why. Damon looked like he was close to falling asleep on his seat.

"Come on," she said to him. "Sit on the couch, you'll be more comfortable."

He took his plate over to the couch. She made herself a cup of tea and joined him.

"Were you watching something?" he asked her.

"I'm half way through a movie," she answered him.

"Don't stop on my account. What are you watching?" he asked her.

"_The notebook_."

"Maybe it can wait until I leave then."

She smirked, and turned it off. She didn't want to continue it now anyway. Noah and Allie were about to make love, and she didn't want watch that with Damon sitting beside her. When she put the case back, she perused her DVD collection for a man friendly movie. That went something along the lines of; nope, nope, definitely not.

"_Ferris Bueller's Day Off_ or _Breakfast Club_?" she asked him, settling on the only movies he might find acceptable.

"What's your preference?" he asked her.

"Breakfast Club."

"Breakfast Club then."

She put the disk into the player and sat on the opposite end of the couch. They fell into a companionable silence as Damon ate, and the movie started. When he finished his meal, he put his plate down on the coffee table and she expected him to leave. Instead he sat back against the couch and kept watching. About fifteen minutes later, she noticed his eyes were closed. She was still trying to decide what she should do about that, when her eyelids started to feel heavy.

The next thing she knew, she could hear 'Don't You Forget About Me', playing in the background, and she realized the movie had ended. She shifted slightly. Her head was lying against a hard male chest. She blinked a few times, before looking up. He was looking down at her. His arm was around her, and she was completely curled up against him.

Her heart skipped a beat as they stared at each other intently for a moment. Then his head descended and his lips were on hers. Her pulse skyrocketed at the contact. The first few kisses were soft and gentle, nothing more than lips softly touching. As soon as his tongue swept into her mouth she literally melted from the heat engulfing her body. Her hands grabbed hold of his shirt, and she lay back, pulling him with her so she could feel his delicious weight on top of her. She could feel him against her in all the right places as he proceeded to kiss her senseless.

Considering how she felt about him this was probably the stupidest idea ever. When his hand reached under her top, and came into contact with her bare breasts, she moaned and decided she didn't care. Their kisses grew longer, hotter, wetter. They moved against each other like they were having sex, but their clothes were in the way and it wasn't enough.

"Damon, please," she pleaded.

He looked at her now. "We're meant to be stopping this."

"I want you," she told him. "I need this. Just a quick one."

"A quick one," he said, more to himself than to her.

She wanted him to make her feel the way he had while they were on tour together. As soon as he sat up, and she could see he was taking off his clothes, she removed her bottoms. She didn't even have time to take off her top before he'd settled himself between her legs. He slid his hand between her thighs, and found her ready. She was so aroused, she couldn't wait any longer.

"Now," she said to him. "I'm ready…oh, my God, Damon."

The sensation of suddenly being filled by him was even better than she remembered.

"Elena," he grunted. "How quick do you want it?"

He started to move, and she was lost to the sensation of it. She'd thought she wanted it hard and fast, but it felt so good to have him inside of her again. Every time he moved, she found herself sliding closer and closer to the edge. She was tingling now, from head to toe.

"Don't stop," she told him. "Don't ever stop."

He groaned, pushing her top up so he could look at her breasts. When he took one of the ripe peaks in his mouth and suckled on it, it was too much for her. Wave after wave of intense pleasure rocked her body, leaving her breathless and clinging to him.

"I can't last much longer," he said to her.

She'd barely finished one orgasm, before she felt the next one started to build.

"I don't ever want it to end," she told him.

Their eyes locked. Elena saw the question in his eyes, and she worried she'd given too much away. Wanting to hide from the eyes that were searching hers, she gently pulled his head towards her so she could kiss him. She kissed him hungrily, trying to make him forget what she'd said. As their kisses became more urgent and their movements became more frantic, Elena felt her body soaring higher and higher, until her body reached a new peak. She wrenched her mouth away from his, as she came undone.

"Damon," she sung.

"Elena," he chanted, as he fell apart right along with her.

They put their clothes on in silence. Damon sat on the couch once he'd dressed. Elena could feel his eyes on her. She didn't know what he thought about what they'd just done, and she didn't want to know. It was supposed to be over, but she may as well have begged him for it. Right now she felt vulnerable, raw, and exposed. As soon as she could muster up the courage, she glanced at him. He was leaning back with his hands folded behind his head. He looked like he was about to fall asleep again.

"You should stay," she told him.

Having him here overnight was not going to help the situation at all, but didn't want him to drive home when he was so tired.

"I'll be fine. I just need coffee," he said to her, his eyes half closed.

"Don't stay the night then, just get a couple hours rest and then go."

He looked at her warily, and she could see him weighing up the options of falling asleep like he wanted to, and running out the door.

"Maybe just a couple hours," he said to her. "Do you want me to sleep on the couch?"

"You'll be more comfortable in a bed."

The damage was already done. His sleeping on the couch wouldn't change anything.

"Lead the way," he said to her.

* * *

A/N: These characters are making progress, I assure you, but it is slow. I could have written more of a separation here, but they weren't quite ready for that. Looking ahead, there is a strong possibility one is coming, but these characters always have a habit of surprising me. Damon, Stefan and Chris will all be back next chapter.

So, I know it was a long one, but I didn't want to stop writing this chapter. Thanks for reading, and please review.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Where to start. Writing this chapter felt a bit like trying to walk a tightrope, and almost falling off constantly. I think it's the most challenging chapter I've written. Not because of flow issues, but because of the emotions the characters were asking me to convey. If emotions were logical and straightforward, I would have had better luck with this chapter, but sometimes I think they are contradictory, constantly changing, and sometimes slippery. Trying to pin down what both of them were feeling was...difficult. I'm not sure I quite managed it. At this time, I'm not sure it makes sense, but I hope it does.

I started the chapter over eleven times, before something stuck. So apologies for the late update. I hope you enjoy...

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Elena woke up some time around eight o'clock on Sunday morning. She rolled over, expecting to find her bed empty. It wasn't. She couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at her lips as she watched Damon sleep for a moment. He didn't stir at all, as she softly slipped out of her bed and headed for the shower. When they had both hopped into bed last night they'd been exhausted, but it hadn't stopped them from finding each other in the middle of the night and coupling again anyway.

She wasn't going to delude herself into thinking that his still being here meant something. She stood under the hot spray for a while and tried to work out what they would pass this night off as. They had tried having a 'once off', they had tried having a fling, and then they had tried to end it. What now? Where did they go from here? They had no hope of avoiding each other in a town this size, and he was still her client.

Staying on at Mystic Falls PR now, however, was pointless. Last night she'd been too shocked to think properly, but after sleeping on it, she realized working for a boss that wanted to fire her was absurd. If Elijah wanted her to leave, she would, but she would do it on her terms. If she bought in with Rose and the others, she would be her own boss. No more Katherine. The thought made her smile. It would be a challenge, but she'd wanted more challenging work anyway. She had savings. It was completely doable. The more she thought about it, the more excited she became.

She had a huge grin on her face as she walked back into her room. It vanished as soon as she saw Damon.

"Damon, what are you doing?"

"Trust me, Elena, not even I'm this kinky."

"Mr Blobby, get down."

"Mreow."

"Mr Blobby!"

Elena scooped the cat off Damon's lap, and held him against her chest as she removed her vibrator from Damon's hand. "Where did you get this?"

"It was in one of your drawers."

"You've been through my drawers."

"You left me. I was bored. You _locked_ the bathroom door," he accused.

"Habit," she told him. "What just happened?"

"I was looking through your drawer. I pulled out _that_, and then your cat attacked me."

"Mr Blobby isn't normally so affectionate with strangers. He must like you," Elena told him, as she absently scratched Mr Blobby under the chin.

"Ugh, you're one of those people," he said to her.

"One of what people?" she asked, confused.

"You're a cat person."

"They're independent and I don't spend a lot of time at home," she told him. "I suppose this means you're not a cat person."

"Dog is man's best friend," he told her.

Elena rolled her eyes. "I like dogs. I just don't have time for one."

Damon frowned as he looked at Mr Blobby again. "He's huge."

"He's on a diet," Elena told him, somewhat defensively.

When Mr Blobby jumped out of her arms, Damon wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her down so that she was sitting across his lap. The towel that had been wrapped around her tightly came undone. The heat in his eyes was so intense, she could barely breathe. It didn't take long for him to work her up to a fever pitch using his hands and mouth all over her, and just when she thought they were getting to the good stuff, he told her he wanted to watch her use her vibrator.

"Damon!"

"You have somewhere to be?"

"No."

"Good."

When they emerged from the bedroom hours later, they were both in need of sustenance. Damon searched through her cupboards looking for something worth eating.

"You don't have any food here," he grumbled.

"What do you call cereal, fruit and toast?"

"Rabbit food," he said with disgust.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To buy real food," he told her, putting his boots on. "Back in ten."

Elena watched him leave and acknowledged she wasn't ready to say goodbye to him again. She knew it was coming. She knew they would have to talk about last night, and this morning, but right now she was feeling giddy with happiness. It was a Sunday, the sun was shining, and Damon was coming back. She pushed thoughts of later out of her mind and tried to enjoy the moment.

True to his word he was back inside ten minutes, with coffee and an assortment of mouth watering pastries.

"The bakery was the only thing open," he told her.

"I'm going to quit," she told him, as they sat eating. "What's the point in working for a boss who's trying to get me fired?"

"It doesn't make sense," Damon told her.

"Exactly."

"I mean, why would he want to have you fired?"

"I don't know, but I'm not going to stick around and find out."

Damon nodded. "Rose gets back into town on Tuesday."

"I'll give her a call then." she told him.

It didn't escape her attention that once she left Mystic Falls PR, she would be able to date her clients if she wanted to. Then again, Damon wouldn't be her client anymore. As far as she knew he was locked into a six month contract with Mystic Falls PR and his publicity would be assigned to someone else. She would have to give two weeks notice, but if she resigned tomorrow, she would officially be free from those work place restrictions within a fortnight.

Damon had made it clear he didn't want a relationship of any kind, so would she see him after she quit her job? He'd stuck around to protect her, but what would happen once she no longer needed his protection? Would she be subjected to seeing him around town with his latest one night stand? She felt her mood take a dive. She was contemplating asking him if there was anything more in their future when she heard her phone vibrate against the bench.

Damon watched Elena pick up her phone and smile when she looked at the screen.

"Who's that smile for?" Damon asked, before he could stop himself.

"Caroline. Stefan asked her to go out on Thursday night."

"Stefan asked Caroline out?"

"They met at the bar on Friday night," Elena told him, as she texted Caroline back.

"Elena, were you at the bar on Friday night?"

Elena looked up at him, realizing what she'd just said. "Yes, I was there."

She looked at her phone again.

"Did you see me there?"

"Mm-hmm," she mumbled, studying her phone intensely.

"You didn't say anything."

"I didn't see the point."

At the time Elena had thought it was over, and she hadn't seen it as her business. Now, she realized she didn't want to know if he'd slept with anyone else. She'd been upset enough after seeing him with the other woman, and she didn't want to experience that heartache all over again. He saw through her so easily, and after her slip last night, she didn't want to give anything else away.

"I didn't even see you there. Where were you sitting?" he asked her.

"A booth up the back."

"Missy is an old girlfriend of mine," he told her.

"I don't need to know, really. It's over; what we had is over."

He was watching her so intensely that she squirmed a little under his gaze. She hoped she wouldn't have to listen to his whole, 'I don't do relationships' speech again. That would be unbearable. The bubble she'd been in since she woke up popped abruptly. They had no future; he had told her that. Sleeping with him this morning and last night had just set back any progress she might have made otherwise. All she needed now was for him to realize how she felt about him so she could really feel like a fool.

"What do you call last night and this morning?" he asked her.

She swallowed. "We slipped."

It was the first thing that popped into her head.

"We slipped?"

"Yes, we slipped. It was a mistake. After the tour it was probably always going to happen."

"Last night you said you never wanted it to end."

Her heart hammered away violently, as his eyes held hers. "I was caught up in the moment."

"That's all?"

She nodded. "I mean, you don't want anything more, do you, Damon?"

Damon was more than a little surprised by her assessment of what they'd done. Both of them knew it was more than a slip, but now that he was in the hot seat, he found himself starting to sweat again. Every time she brought up the idea of something more, his body almost shut down in panic mode. She didn't understand; she couldn't understand that he could never be what she wanted him to be.

"No. I don't want anything more."

"So, it's over then."

"It's over," he repeated.

Damon finished his mouthful and then threw what he was eating in the bin. He'd suddenly lost his appetite.

"I should make a move," he told her.

"It was good to see you," she said stiffly.

"You're going to talk to Rose on Tuesday?" he asked her.

"Yes. I need you to come into the office on Wednesday and read over one of the articles being printed next week, too."

"Who will take over my publicity when you leave?"

"I don't know, but I'll let you know as soon as I find out."

"I'll see you on Wednesday," he said to her, and then he left.

After he'd gone, Elena told herself _now_ it was over. She'd had a setback, but that would be the last one. They were over for good, and she needed to come to terms with it.

* * *

When Elena went into the office on Monday, she typed out her resignation letter straight away and sent it up to Elijah, who immediately ordered her to come up.

"I don't really understand, Elena. You're in line for a promotion. We're the biggest company in town. Why would you want to leave?"

"I have enjoyed working here, and I have learned a lot, but I feel it's time to move on."

"What do you intend to do next?"

"I haven't quite made up my mind yet."

"It's unlike you to be flippant about something as important as your future. You've always been one of our most ambitious employees. We don't want to lose you, Elena."

"I appreciate that, but my mind is made up."

"This doesn't have anything to do with your client, does it?"

"Which client?" Elena asked, knowing full well which client he was talking about.

"Damon Salvatore. I know there was an incident on tour."

Elena froze for a moment. "Incident?"

"You missed your flight."

"Yes that. It had nothing to do with Damon."

"And your leaving?"

"Also has nothing to do with him."

"I'd like you to give careful consideration to this again, Elena. Are you sure, this is what you really want?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Well, if you change your mind let me know."

Once she stepped back inside her office she felt a curious mix of emotions. She felt relieved her meeting with Elijah was over. She felt angry that she had been targeted by him so unfairly, as well as confused because she didn't know why. She felt a little sorry that her time here was over. She'd spent years here, imagining herself in a corner office, as one of the partners. As much as she had loathed her encounters with Katherine, her time here had been rewarding and she would miss the place. She would miss her assistant. Caroline had loyally pledged to follow her across, but Elena doubted there would be money in the budget for an assistant at this stage.

"If you want in, Elena, you have to know up front it's going to be tough," Rose told her, when she went to see her on Tuesday night.

"I don't mind hard work, Rose."

The other woman smiled at her. "Yes, I remember. Still, I really need you to understand it won't be easy sailing."

"I can handle it."

As Rose rattled off the costs of what they were looking at to start the company, Elena was a little shocked. She hadn't expected the amount of money to be quite so large.

"It's a lot of money to be investing in a business which has so much potential to fail. The other girls are prepared, but Elena you could join another company. You don't have to do it this way."

Elena nodded, thinking it over. It was a lot of money, and it would be a huge risk, but some things were worth risking everything for. If she lost what she invested she could bounce back. She was young, she was resilient, and as Rose said, she still had her name. She would just have to join another PR company if theirs failed. She loved PR, she knew it well. She wanted to be in her own company, as her own boss, and she wanted the challenge. Yes it was scary, but it was also exciting.

"I want this," Elena assured her. "I want in."

Rose seemed happy with her answer, and told her Lexie and Anna would be happy to have her on board. After all, the costs split four ways instead of three would be easier on all of them. If only there was some way to increase their chances of survival.

"Damon mentioned that there was information that could bring down Mystic Falls PR," Elena said casually.

"No way, Elena, That would be a suicide mission. It's too difficult to access, and if you got caught before you found the information you could be arrested. We could really use someone who hasn't had their name dragged through the mud."

Elena knew she had a point, but she wasn't entirely convinced. When she saw Damon on Wednesday she wanted to ask his opinion on it. Unfortunately, the office wasn't the best place to discuss it, and Elena didn't want to see him outside of work when they were trying to stop their affair. It was best to leave well alone and keep their interaction to a minimum. Their meeting was strained and stilted, but Elena hadn't expected anything less. Damon left the minute they finished their business.

When she walked into the bar on Friday night she was desperately in need of a drink. She was earlier than usual because she'd cut back on her overtime since she'd resigned. Bonnie and Caroline had yet to arrive, so she took a seat at the bar and waited for them to come in. She'd only been there for a minute when someone sat down beside her.

"Buy you a drink?"

She smiled when she turned in her seat she saw it was Stefan's friend, Chris.

"I thought you had a gig on tonight."

"I thought so too. We got pulled at the last minute."

"Damn," Elena said. "That sucks."

"Not if I get to buy you a drink," he said to her, all smiles.

"Well if buying me a drink will improve your evening…"

"Oh, it will," he assured her.

"Well, I won't say no then. Are you here with Stefan?" Elena asked.

She looked around for Damon's brother, but didn't see him with all the other accountants at the table they'd been at last Friday.

"He's supposed to be here already."

"I'm waiting for Caroline and Bonnie," Elena told him.

"Great, we'll wait together."

When Damon walked into Ric's on Friday night, it was with the intention of drinking himself under the table. The last thing he expected to see, as he made his was to the bar, was Elena laughing and flirting with some guy. As he drew closer he realized he knew the guy. Christopher Tascone was one of Stefan's best friends. Chris had spent enough time over at their house when they were teenagers, and Damon knew him pretty well. He'd always liked Stefan's outgoing friend – until now.

Chris saw him approaching them, and grinned and waved. Damn it, why couldn't he be some asshole who had his hands all over Elena so Damon could punch him out without feeling guilty?

"Long time no see, man," Chris said to him, shaking his hand.

"You here with Stefan?" Damon asked him.

"Waiting for him. You know Stefan; he always spends an hour in front of the mirror, styling his hair. You know Elena?" Chris asked.

"I do. Elena," he acknowledged.

"Damon," she returned formally.

"You guys work together, right?" Chris asked them.

"Damon is my client," Elena told him.

Damon wanted to tell Chris that they'd spent the better part of the last month in bed with each other, but what did that mean? Nothing, because he'd said he didn't want anything more. Now he was getting an inkling of the consequences of that decision and he didn't like it at all. Damon knew body language, and he could tell Chris liked Elena. The guy was smitten. Well he could get in line.

What surprised Damon was the fact that _she_ was interested. Even if she wasn't sending out over the top signals, she liked him. He should have seen this coming. Had he really expected her to continue living the nun-like lifestyle she'd lived before him? When Marc had asked her out, he had been able to confidently tell her the guy was a prick; but Chris was a nice guy. He couldn't warn her off Stefan's friend.

The three of them chatted awkwardly for a few minutes. Damon was aware of Chris giving him the signal to leave, but Damon played dumb. He wasn't quite ready to leave them to it. It was a relief when Damon spotted Stefan walk through the door with Caroline.

"Oh look, Stefan's arrived," Damon said to Chris.

"Coming?" Chris asked Elena.

"Yeah," Elena said, grabbing her drink.

Damon reached out and grabbed her upper arm, holding her in place. "Elena, I need to talk to you."

Chris paused, waiting for her. When Damon didn't remove his hand, effectively keeping her in place, she told Chris to go on ahead. Chris gave him a questioning look but then left them.

"What is it Damon?" she asked him, once Chris was out of earshot.

"Are you going to sleep with him?"

Her eyes glittered dangerously as they latched onto his. "You don't get to ask me that. I didn't ask you about Missy."

"I didn't sleep with her."

"And I haven't slept with Chris."

Damon was very aware she hadn't actually answered his question. "You like him."

"What if I do?" she asked him. "Would you have anything to say?"

Just like clockwork his body started to shut down again. He couldn't think clearly. His hands were clammy, his heartbeat was erratic, and he felt like passing out. His chest was tight, and he could barely breathe. She didn't deserve someone who had this reaction every time she asked for more. Chris would be able to give her everything he couldn't. Elena deserved to have it all.

"Chris is a nice guy," he told her.

"I'm glad you approve," she told him frostily, before marching away.

He sat down at the bar, taking the exact seat she had been occupying and ordered a drink. When he looked for her again, he noticed she was sitting in a booth with Stefan, Chris, Caroline, and another two people he hadn't met before. Every time she smiled, the knife in his heart twisted just that little bit further. She was happy. She was happy in her little group, and he'd never been so jealous to not be part of something in his life. Chris was sitting with his arm around her, and they were all laughing. She looked up and noticed him watching her. He raised his glass slightly. She was moving on. It was what he wanted for her. He needed to do the same.

He downed one glass, after another, after another. When a scantily clad redhead sidled up to him, he gave her his attention. She was attractive, and he could put up with her blathering on about the latest football scores and the weather, because she was looking for a one night stand. When she offered to buy him a drink, he didn't say no. She was exactly what he needed right now.

Damon wasn't distracted enough to miss when Elena left with her group of friends. Chris still had his arm around her. He hadn't left her side all night. Would she go home with him tonight? Would he go back to her place? He tortured himself with the images of her in bed with Chris, until the redhead noticed he wasn't paying attention and moved onto someone else. He couldn't bring himself to care. He kept drinking until the bartender cut him off.

"Go sleep it off, buddy. Tomorrow is a brand new day."

Damon resisted the urge to reach over the counter and rip his throat out. He staggered out of the bar and fumbled for his keys, but when he couldn't even insert them into the ignition he decided he'd better walk. He started walking home, but at some point he realized instead of walking home he'd walked right up to her apartment building. Before he could think better of it he was making his way to her door. He'd made a mistake by suggesting they should stop their thing when they got back to Mystic Falls. Sure it was dangerous, but they could be careful. Nothing needed to change. Why couldn't they continue what they'd had on tour?

"Elena!" Bang, bang, bang. "Elena!"

One of the neighbours told him not so politely to shut it.

"You wanna step out here and…"

He was cut off when Elena opened her apartment door and forcibly yanked him into her apartment.

"What are you doing here, Damon?"

"I wanted to see you."

"You can't just show up here after midnight and make this much noise. You'll have me evicted."

"I'll be quiet then," he whispered theatrically.

"You're drunk."

"I _was_ drunk. After a thirty minute walk here, I'm almost sober."

"I doubt that."

Damon took in the short lilac nightgown she was wearing.

"God, you're so beautiful."

"Damon-"

Elena stopped breathing as he fingered the strap of the nightie she was wearing. He brushed his lips across her shoulder, causing her to shiver in response.

"We're over, Damon."

"You said you don't want it to end."

"I was caught up in the moment."

"You're lying, Elena. You don't want this to be over any more than I do."

Elena felt time stop. He didn't want it to be over. For a moment she felt hope well within her, before she remembered he was only talking about their sexual relationship. While she had been happy with their arrangement on tour, she hadn't been in love with him then, or at least she hadn't known she was. She needed more from him.

"I want a relationship, Damon. Can you give me that?"

His eyes collided with hers. "I'm fucked up, Elena. You don't want a relationship with me."

His eyes pleaded with her to understand. Elena wasn't going to stand there and argue with him about whether he was fucked up or not. He believed what he believed, and until he changed what he thought about himself, nothing would change between them. She could stand there and try and persuade him otherwise, but it wouldn't make any difference. He wouldn't let her in; he wouldn't talk to her about his past, and he wouldn't accept her opinion over his own.

"Sleep on the couch tonight," she told him.

She didn't want him wandering around town drunk. She left him standing there and closed the bedroom door behind her. She could take what he was offering, but where would it lead? She wanted a relationship. She didn't want it to be over between them, but she needed more than the promise of sex until he tired of her. If she allowed herself to fall any further in love with him, she would shatter apart when it was over.

After she had curled up in bed and closed her eyes, the bedroom door creaked open. She heard him undress, and then she felt him get into bed beside her. When his arms reached for her and wrapped around her, her whole body went rigid.

"Can't we just keep doing what we were doing on tour?" he asked her.

Her heart squeezed painfully. She turned around in the circle of his arms. Even without the lamp on, she could see him well enough in the pale moonlight streaming through the window. His eyes searched hers. They had to end it, for good. She needed to say goodbye to him, and she needed to mean it.

"Damon-"

He cut her off with a kiss. She tried to stop him; she tried to push him away, but he wouldn't let her. He was immovable. Every time he touched her, he had the capacity to make her lose her mind, and forget everything she needed to remember. She found herself being feverishly propelled into depths that threatened to drown her. With every touch, every caress, and every kiss between them, her resistance was worn down bit by bit. He would have to be the one to let go, Elena acknowledged. She would never be able to stand firm against his carnal desire.

Damon felt the change in her attitude as Elena kissed him back, and she ran her palm over his stomach and into his boxers, wrapping her hand around him. She worked her hand up and down his shaft.

"That feels so good, baby."

After a while she moved to straddle him. He watched her pull the lilac slip she was wearing over her head; her now naked body almost glowing in the pale moonlight. For a moment he'd believed she was going to tell him to leave her apartment and not come back. He couldn't let her go. He couldn't lose her. He wasn't going to screw this up. He couldn't afford to. She pressed an open mouthed kiss to his chest before putting her hands inside the elastic of his boxers and working them off his hips, and down his legs. As she positioned herself over him, she locked eyes with him and slid his cock into her wet heat.

"Elena-"

"It always feels so good."

"I know, baby. I know."

She began to rock her hips, and he watched, hypnotized, as she gave herself over to the sensations she was experiencing. His hands cupped her breasts and he ran his thumbs over the already hardened peaks. She looked like some kind of goddess as she threw her head back. With the amount of alcohol he'd consumed, he thought it would keep his orgasm at bay, but when she started to move her hips in a circle, he knew he wasn't going to have any trouble reaching his own release.

Her moans were becoming more frequent, and he moved one hand to where their bodies were joined. Eager to watch her fall apart, he teased her gently with his thumb. He loved watching her climax, and tonight was no different. As she reached her peak, her body tightened around his, she moaned his name, and she looked at him like he was a god. He followed her over the edge quickly, and she collapsed on top of him.

Neither of them said a word afterward, but he held her tightly against him. She wanted a relationship. He'd promised himself he'd never get involved again. The idea of trying a relationship still made him break into a cold sweat; but then so did the idea of her being with someone else. When she'd walked out of that bar with Chris tonight, he'd known for real he wasn't ready to let her go. He would never forgive himself if he hurt her, but he couldn't walk away again. Almost losing her tonight had scared him shitless. He heard her breathing change, signaling she was asleep, but he felt the need to tell her his thoughts anyway.

"I love you, Elena. We'll try it your way."

* * *

A/N: To everyone who's reading and everyone who is reviewing, I sincerely thank you. Honestly, I feel so lucky so many of you share your thoughts with me. Yeah, I know how lucky I am. One of my wonderful readers asked me how many chapters I think I have left in this story, and I estimate somewhere between 16-20 chapters. While I have the story mapped out, things don't always go to plan with these guys. This is a really long story for me, so I hope you are still enjoying it. I talked about progress last chapter, and I think they are making it. I hope you think so too. I also tried my hand at humor in this chapter. Not sure if I pulled it off. Anyway, enough rambling from an insanely tired pregnant woman. Thanks for reading, and please review.

Lots of Love,

LoveEpicLove


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: This fic has amazing support, and I'm ever so grateful. I'm still getting around to thanking everyone who has reviewed the last two chapters.

I threw a lot at the characters this chapter, and they did better than I thought they would. That said, writing Damon, in this, at the moment, is like trying to hold onto the reigns of a skittish horse that is ready to bolt at any moment.

* * *

**Chapter 16**

In the morning, Elena slipped out of the arms that were holding her. She had no idea what the time was, but it was light. After throwing on sweatpants and a tank top, she left the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She didn't think Damon would appreciate a visit from Mr Blobby this morning. As she headed for her coffee machine, a quick glance out the windows revealed it was overcast and cloudy. Perfect. She wouldn't jog this morning, and she wouldn't be working. There was nothing to take her mind off the man in her bed.

After the coffee had finished brewing, she poured herself a mug, and sat on the couch. She sipped her coffee in silence, until she remembered she'd had a dream in which Damon had told her he loved her. Last night she had had a perfectly nice night with Chris. He'd asked for her number, and Elena knew he wanted to ask her out. Why, why, why had she slept with Damon _again_? She couldn't say no to him; that was why. While he still wanted her, she was doomed to keep having sex with a man who would never give her what she really wanted. She switched on the TV, needing a break from the turmoil in her heart and mind. She turned down the sound, flicked it over to the music channel, and tried to lose herself watching music videos.

When Damon woke up, it took him a moment to realize where he was. He remembered being in the bar, he remembered talking to Elena, and he remembered seeing her leave with Chris. How had he ended up here? He lay there for a bit longer, letting memories from the night before float back to him. He'd walked here from the bar, he remembered that. Elena had been annoyed at him for making a noise, but she'd been wearing some sexy purple thing that he'd wanted to take off her.

"_I want a relationship, Damon. Can you give me that?"_

Her words came back to him with a force that would have knocked him to his knees had he been standing. He'd been single for almost eleven years; pretty much his entire adult life. He didn't even remember what it was like to be in a relationship. What did being in a relationship even mean, now? Would he have to go out for brunch? He shuddered at the thought. It probably meant being monogamous. He doubted that much had changed. He didn't want to sleep with anyone but Elena anyway, but what if that changed? It had with Lucy.

What would he write about? Would people still buy his books if he wrote about rainbows and puppy dogs and relationship sex? God, would they stop having sex? Would she try and redecorate his place? He frowned as he imagined throw pillows on the couch and fluffy pink towels in the bathroom. Would he have to leave the toilet seat down? Would he be forced to go to family dinners, and the birthday parties of her friends?

He didn't remember the answer he'd given her last night, but he remembered them having sex. He must have said yes. He tried to quell the panic rising inside of him. He loved her. More than he'd loved any other woman. That was something. She wasn't satisfied with just sex anymore, and he didn't want to let her go. It was his only option. Besides, he couldn't go back on what he'd said now. Did this mean he was her boyfriend? Thirty years of age too old to be someone's boyfriend.

Damon rolled out of the bed, put his boxers and tee-shirt on and did his best to ignore the doubts that were eating away at him. Just because he'd messed up the only relationship he'd ever tried, and the men in his family made a habit of ruining women's lives, didn't mean this would fail, did it?

Elena looked up the moment she heard him open her bedroom door. She didn't look overly happy, and he wondered if he'd already done something wrong. It wouldn't surprise him.

"Coffee?" he asked.

Elena tried to stay calm as she got off the couch and made her way into the kitchen. What she wanted to do was yell at him for showing up last night, and not leaving her alone, but he would most likely be gone soon enough. He wasn't here for anything other than sex.

She was aware of Damon standing behind her as she made him coffee. She shivered as he swept all of her hair to one side and began to kiss her neck. She put the coffee pot down, and clung to the bench, as he found a particularly sensitive spot. She felt her nipples harden into tight little buds and heat settle low in her tummy as his hands skimmed up and down her sides.

"Morning," he said huskily.

"I…I can't concentrate with you doing that," she told him.

Damon heard the irritation in her voice, and knew his earlier assessment had been right; she wasn't happy with him. He turned her around so she was facing him. "Have I done something wrong, Elena?"

"Last night you turned up here drunk, upsetting the neighbors."

"I just wanted to see you."

"You can't turn up here whenever you feel like it; whenever you want sex."

Damon attempted to wrap his head around why she was so upset. "It's not just sex. Last night you said you wanted a relationship."

"I know what I said."

"So why are you so pissed off all of a sudden?"

"I'm not pissed off. I'm…"

"You said you wanted a relationship."

"Yes, I did."

"Then-"

"And you told me you were too fucked up for one."

"But we slept together."

Elena didn't feel like telling him that that was because she was an idiot, and was so completely in his thrall physically that she couldn't say no to him.

"I remember, Damon," she said, instead.

She remembered only too well, what they did, and how he made her feel; how he always made her feel.

"So I didn't say yes to a relationship?" Damon asked her.

"No. No, you didn't. Why would you think you did?"

"I can't remember everything, but I assumed…"

"You said you wanted to keep doing what we were doing on tour."

"But that's not what you want?"

"You've already said you don't do relationships," she told him tiredly.

"But a relationship is what you want?"

His hands were on her shoulders, preventing her from turning around. His eyes never left hers. She nodded. "Yes."

Her heart felt as if it was lying bare and exposed between them, and she didn't like it at all. However, she owed it to both of them to be honest.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Let's try it."

He gave her a smile which should have reassured her, but instead she felt uneasy instead. She hadn't missed the uncertainty and the doubt that had flashed across his handsome features a moment ago.

"But a relationship isn't what you want," she said to him.

Damon wondered what he was thinking. He hadn't said yes last night. He could still get out of this. It would never end well. He would hurt her. She would end up hating him. There were so many reasons not to; but it was what she wanted. There wasn't much he wouldn't do for her. He pushed the thoughts of his relationship with Lucy from his mind. It would be different with Elena, because it had to be.

"I'm in love with you, Elena. If it's what you want, then it's what I want too."

"You're in love with me?"

"Yeah," he said to her, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

Elena felt heat spread through her. He was in love with her. Her heart felt full and warm, even if it was beating ludicrously fast right now. She could still see that he wasn't entirely convinced, but she chose to ignore it. He was crossing the line for her. He was willing to try this for her, and she loved him even more for it. He had doubts, but they could work through those, right?

"I'm in love with you, too."

He kissed her then. A particularly bone melting, heart stopping, knee quivering kiss which left her desperately craving more.

"Coffee?" she asked him breathlessly.

"Can wait," he said, picking her up and carrying her off to the bedroom.

* * *

When they re-emerged from the bedroom, Elena felt as if she were floating on cloud nine. For the first time in a very long time she felt as if _everything_ in her life was perfect. She was about to become her own boss, and the man she was in love with had just agreed to a relationship. As if that wasn't enough, it was a Saturday, and the sun had come out from behind the clouds. She felt invincible. Nothing would bring her down today.

They sat at the kitchen bench and had breakfast. Elena knew she had a goofy smile on her face, which made it difficult to eat, but no matter how hard she tried to make it go away, it just kept coming back. Damon had settled for cereal and toast this morning, but if he was going to be spending more time here, she would have to go shopping. She already knew he was unimpressed by what was in her cupboards.

"So," Damon said to her once they finished.

"So," Elena repeated.

"We should do something tonight."

It may have been a long time since he was in a relationship, but Damon knew that Saturday night was when couples were supposed to do things.

"What do you want to do?" she asked him.

"We could go to the movies."

"Katherine," Elena said to him.

"What about her?"

"We should probably keep a lid on this until I'm finished at Mystic Falls PR."

"I guess we're staying in then," Damon said, annoyed that he'd forgotten about that very important fact.

"It will only be for one more week," she assured him. "We can watch a movie here."

Damon eyed her movie collection warily. He suspected it was full of chick flicks that held all the appeal of being neutered.

"I can go to the video store, unless you have movies at home you want to watch," she said to him.

"I need to swing by the house and pick up a couple of things anyway. I'll see what I've got."

He had no idea if Elena would be interested in any of the movies he owned. Other than _The Notebook_, and John Hughes movies, he didn't know what she liked.

"Did you drive here last night?" she asked him.

"No."

He'd forgotten he walked here. He would have to walk back to Ric's.

"I can drive you to Ric's," she told him.

"Do you want to come home with me?" he asked her. "That way you can look through my DVDs, and see if you like anything in there."

"Sure," Elena said to him. "I can drop you at Ric's on the way back, so you can drive here."

"Works for me."

After the two of them had taken a very long shower together, and dressed, they left.

"If you're the only person living here, what do you do with all those extra room?" Elena asked him, as they pulled into his driveway.

"Nothing," Damon told her. "It's not my place. I'm house-sitting for my uncle who's been overseas for the past year."

"Oh."

Here it comes, thought Damon. She's going to have questions.

"Do you have your own place?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

He closed the car door, and looked over the roof of the car at her.

"Because I can't afford my own place."

Elena was surprised for a moment, and about to ask why, when she remembered a comment Damon made to Stefan at the party weeks ago. He'd said something about his money keeping a roof over his mom's head. She wanted to ask him about it, but she thought it best not to. He was already wearing that 'I don't want to talk about it expression'. Baby steps. He'd already taken a huge step today, and she didn't want to push him too far.

"Okay."

"Come on," he said to her.

She followed him inside.

"DVDs are this way," he said to her, showing her into a room which held a very large plasma screen and shelves of DVDs. "Some of them are mine. Some of them are Uncle Zach's. If you see any you like, put them to the side. I'll be upstairs."

Elena nodded, and started to look through the selection. She pulled out a few of them, and sat down on the couch to wait for him. After some time, she started to wonder what was keeping him. She wasn't in a rush to go anywhere, but maybe he needed help with something. She made her way upstairs, calling out to him a couple of times. She never heard him answer.

The first room she poked her head into looked like a study. There was a computer, a laptop and a typewriter in the room. She wondered which one Damon worked on. Maybe he worked on all of them. She'd wanted to ask him about his writer's block again, but hadn't been game to after the last time it had come up. She hoped he might talk to her eventually, but the man she was involved with seemed very self-contained.

She walked over to the bookshelves which took up an entire wall of the large room. One shelf was dedicated to manuals and 'how to' guides. She ran her finger along the spines of the books, stopping at a copy of Damon's book; _Why Pleasing Your Man In Bed should Be Your Top Priority_.

"_The only thing men want is sex."_

Damon's words came back to haunt her, and it finally started to sink in. She was now dating Mr Men-Only-Want-Sex. She was in a relationship with Mr I-Don't-Do-Relationships. How long could she truly expect to keep him satisfied? He would tire of her; grow bored with her. He'd had countless bed partners before her who hadn't kept him interested. She likely wasn't as experienced as most of them. Damon loved her, but then Matt had loved her too, and she hadn't been able to keep him happy.

At the end of the book tour she'd thought she was cured of her insecurities and doubts about who she was in the bedroom. However, she could feel those old doubts starting to creep back in again. She wanted to be past this. She needed to be past this. One day at a time, she told herself. There was no point in thinking too far ahead, but she would read and memorize every line in his book to give them the best chance at success.

She moved along from his book now, until she stopped at; _101 Sex Positions You Haven't Tried_. Curiosity aroused, she plucked the book off the shelf and opened it up. There were color photographs to illustrate the text, and as Elena looked at them, she felt her temperature starting to rise. She studied each photo intensely. Damon had introduced her to many new positions, but they hadn't tried these ones. Her body heated up even further as she imagined doing them with Damon.

"I see you found something to occupy you," he said in her ear.

She slammed the book shut, flushing guiltily, despite the fact she'd not been caught doing anything wrong. He smirked at her.

"Are these yours?" she asked, making a show of putting the book back, and trying to keep her voice even.

"I don't need a manual, Elena."

"But…we haven't tried any of these positions," she said to him, turning to face him now.

He looked far too amused, and she felt more than a little silly.

"They require a certain amount of flexibility."

"I'm flexible," she told him.

"I never said you weren't."

"Then…"

"The women in those photographs have probably been doing yoga for five to ten years."

"Oh."

"_The only thing men want is sex. The only reason a man will stay with a woman is because of sex."_

Why was she remembering all of Damon previous comments today? Just because she couldn't do what the yoga girls did, didn't mean he was going to dump her; but she might just join Caroline at yoga on Monday nights anyway.

"Those positions aren't terribly comfortable anyway. They're just something a bit different," Damon told her.

She tried not to think about Damon in those positions with some yoga nut who could twist herself into a pretzel and drank grass smoothies.

"If you want to try though…" he said to her, pulling her against him, so she could feel how ready he was for trying.

Needing to run from the fears nipping at her heels, and the insecurities that she'd thought were behind her, she kissed him deeply. She wanted to prove to herself that she wasn't the same woman she had been. She was a new woman; a confident woman, and one who had no trouble pleasing a man in bed. The reassurance she was seeking was given quickly, as she lost herself inside his kiss.

She could never be the same woman she had been, because she'd never been loved the way that he loved her. She had never experienced pleasure like the pleasure he gave her, and she had never known need, until he had shown up and turned her into some wanton woman who craved his touch constantly. Her hands moved down his back, grabbing his butt, pulling his hips even closer to hers.

Damon lost it as Elena told him without words how much she wanted him. He whipped the tee-shirt he was wearing over his head, before picking her up and roughly sitting her on the desk behind them. Not even the papers of the printed manuscript fluttering about could distract him. He couldn't think about anything else when she was in his arms, except how good it felt to be with her.

He always felt so desperate, so hungry for this woman, that it was difficult to slow it down. He'd thought it was the time limit they'd put on it, but not having that time limit anymore hadn't changed anything. She seemed to have no idea how much he wanted her, thought about her. His hands reached under the skirt she was wearing, greedily moving up her thighs until they reached her underwear. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as he moved the material out of the way so he could stroke her. Damon's self control evaporated almost entirely when he felt how wet she was for him.

Elena could feel the typewriter in her back, but she didn't care. "Take me,' she demanded.

Damon didn't need to be told twice. He unzipped his jeans, and still holding her underwear to the side, he had the tip of his cock at her soft wet entrance in no time. She cried out as he pushed inside her.

She looked him in the eye. "Harder. Faster," she said to him, wrapping her legs around his hips.

"Damon," a familiar voice sung out.

Both of them froze momentarily.

"You've got to be kidding," Damon ground out.

"Why does that sound like Katherine?" Elena asked Damon who was zipping up and putting his shirt back on. She was trying not to panic as she jumped off the desk, but she could hear floorboards creaking. "Is she inside?"

Damon listened for a minute. "She's inside. You need to hide _now_."

"Does she have a key?"

"No, but she knows where I keep my spare," he told her.

"Damon. Where are you?" Katherine called in a sing-song manner which sounded incredibly menacing.

Elena swore – something she rarely did. This was the second time she was being forced to hide from Katherine, and Elena was already sick of it. "I'm not hiding," she told him. "There is nowhere to hide."

Damon wanted to tell her to run, but it was too late, Katherine had already found them.

"What are you doing here, Katherine? I told you we were over."

"You did, however, I've been following you."

"You've been stalking me," Damon said with disgust.

"I knew you two were sleeping together."

Damon leaned back against the desk, and realized he had something close at hand that could be useful. He'd seen it done in countless movies and television shows, but could it be done in real life? There was no harm in trying. He discreetly reached for the small recording device he used sometimes when writing, and pressed a button which he hoped would record their conversation.

"Sleeping together? I don't know what you're talking about. Elena's my publicist, and I was showing her some of my work."

"Dear, sweet, innocent Damon; you don't honestly expect me to believe that, do you? There is only one car here, and it's Elena's. I know you stayed the night there last night."

"Yes, because I was drunk, and I slept on the couch."

Elena knew her career was about to be ended. Rose didn't want any more bad press for their new company. She wanted to scream with how unfair it was. Why had Katherine taken such a dislike to her? Why had she been targeted by Elijah?

Katherine smiled at her nastily. "I have something to tell you."

"I'm listening," Elena told her, wondering what kind of spiteful remark she was about to hear.

"Damon only slept with you because I asked him to."

Elena almost sagged with relief. Katherine had no idea that Damon had been honest with her from the start.

"We're not sleeping together, Kat," Damon told her.

"You're lying."

"You have no proof," Elena told her.

"I don't need it."

"Actually, you do. I can't be fired without proof, and you have none."

"Who said anything about fired?"

"You don't want me fired?"

"No. You're to be my replacement, Elena. I want to leave Mystic Falls PR, and Elijah demanded I find him a replacement. I want you to be _promoted_."

Elena looked at Damon, who looked as confused as she felt right now.

"I don't understand," Elena told her. "You want me to…"

"I want you to take my place."

Elena still didn't understand. "Then why did you ask Damon to sleep with me?"

"It's called leverage, Elena."

"She needed a guarantee you'd take the position," Damon told her, shaking his head.

"Why?" Elena asked.

"Because I'm guessing being promoted isn't everything it's cracked up to be," Damon said, looking to Katherine for confirmation.

"Good for you, Damon. Two plus two. Elijah needs someone to do his dirty work. I vote for Elena."

"Dirty work?" Elena repeated.

"Elijah has certain _tasks_ that have to be done. I don't want to do them anymore."

"What kind of tasks?" Damon asked, hoping they were about to hit pay dirt.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Katherine said to him.

"Why don't you just leave?" Elena asked.

"Why do you think?"

"What does he have on you?" Damon asked her.

"Enough to keep me there," Katherine told him. "But I can walk out, _if_ Elena plays ball."

"I'm not going to take your place, Katherine. I resigned."

"But who will take you when I spread word about this. Don't think I don't know about Rose and the company she's starting, Elena. This would be a nightmare for a new PR company. Take my place, or I will tell everybody."

Elena walked right up to Katherine, until they were nose to nose. "I haven't done anything wrong; but I would rather be broke and jobless than do anything you wanted me to."

"I know you, Elena. Your job is your life."

That statement would have been true two months ago, but it wasn't true anymore. While work and her career were certainly important to her, and a large part of her life, she had used her job as a crutch to avoid personal relationships. She had hidden behind her job, but she wasn't hiding now. That said, she wouldn't go down without a fight.

"I'll find another job," she told Katherine.

"Not in PR."

"Maybe not, but I'll fight it," Elena told her. "I'll fight it the whole way. You can't prove anything, and you don't have the law on your side. Do you really think Mystic Falls wants an unfair dismissal lawsuit of their hands? I think _that_ would be a PR nightmare."

"You're bluffing," Katherine said, starting to sound desperate. "You don't have it in you. It would cost you money, and time, not to mention the fact that we both know that you _are_ screwing your client."

Elena wouldn't be able to easily continue a relationship with Damon if it was taken to court, but Katherine only needed to believe she'd file the lawsuit.

"I'm not bluffing, and you can't prove I've been sleeping with Damon."

"I'll get proof," Katherine said to her.

"Are you going to stalk her too?" Damon asked.

"I'll do whatever it takes."

"Well, I have that on record now."

"What?"

"I've recorded this entire conversation, Katherine. What do you think Elijah will say when I play this tape for him?"

Katherine's cheeks turned a bright shade of red, and her mouth gaped open like a fish before she clamped it shut and glared at them both. "Mark my words; the two of you will regret this."

Elena watched Katherine storm out. Once it sounded as if she'd left the house, she turned to Damon. "You recorded it?"

"Let's see if it worked." Damon rewound the tape a little, and pressed play.

"_I'll get proof." _

"_Are you going to stalk her?" _

"_I'll do whatever it takes."_

"_Well, I have that on record now."_

"_What?"_

"_I've recorded this entire conversation, Katherine. What do you think Elijah will say when I play this tape for him?"_

"It worked," Elena said when she heard the last seconds of their conversation come out through the speaker on the small recorder. She grinned and threw her arms around him.

"I'm not sure we're out of trouble yet," he told her. "She's likely to retaliate."

"I know," Elena said to him. "But thinking of that was genius, and it might be enough to stop her from taking this any further."

"Is there a reward for saving your very pretty neck?"

"How about I cook you dinner?"

"I'm hungry already," he told her.

"Well, let's go then. We need to stop at the shops on the way home."

He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Or we can stay here. I already have food, and a bed close by. We never finished before."

"Yes, and you also have an uninvited house guest who could decide to drop in again at any time."

"I should change the locks," Damon mused, as they left the house.

"And maybe where you keep your spare key," Elena said to him, as they reversed out of the drive.

After they'd been to the shops, Elena dropped Damon at Ric's to pick up his car, and then drove home. She hadn't even stepped out of her vehicle before he pulled in behind her. They walked through her apartment door laden with bags, and boxes of groceries. Elena wondered if she would be feeding a small army, instead of just one man and herself. She had just put down the bags she was carrying, on the counter, when her mobile phone went off.

"Hi Caroline, what's up?"

Elena listened as Caroline told her that she and Stefan, and Bonnie and Jeremy were at the bar. Elena looked at Damon. He was pretending to be engrossed in the paper they'd just bought, but he could obviously hear her conversation. Would Damon want to spend time with her friends? Was it too soon for him to meet her brother? They'd only just changed gears from a fling that was supposed to be finished, to a full on relationship.

She tried to imagine the look on Caroline and Bonnie's face if she turned up with Damon. They didn't know Elena had slept with him again last weekend. The last time they'd all been talking about him, he'd walked into the bar with someone else, and last night they'd all seen some redhead all over him. She could already hear Bonnie telling her that she was indulging in self-destructive behavior.

"You know what, Car; I'm going to pass on tonight."

"No Elena. You have to come! Please. We're waiting for you."

Elena felt the guilt creeping in. She didn't want to be one of those women who ditched her friends for a guy, but she didn't want her night with Damon to be over either. They couldn't be seen at the bar together, and it would be rude to cut their night short when she'd said she'd cook him dinner.

"Sorry, Caroline. I'm going to get an early night. You guys have fun though."

She felt terrible after she hung up. Caroline had sounded so disappointed, and she'd heard them all laughing in the background. It sounded like they were having fun.

"That was Caroline," she told Damon. "They're at the bar."

"Did you want to go?" Damon asked her.

"We probably shouldn't be seen at the bar together," she told him.

"I could go home."

"Oh."

"If you want to go, that is," he added.

He hadn't been talking about going with her. She wanted to join them, but not quite as much as she wanted to be with Damon. Blowing off her friends wouldn't be a regular thing, she assured herself; it was just tonight.

"No. You know what, I wanted to stay in anyway."

She was lying, but he seemed relieved, which in turn made her feel like she'd made the right decision. He wanted to spend time with her. After the drama of the afternoon, she needed to wind down. She poured them both a glass of wine, and allowed herself to enjoy the pleasure of cooking with someone.

Despite the fact she was meant to be cooking for him, he was more than happy to lend a hand. They worked well in the kitchen together, moving in sync. The thought pleased her inordinately. After they'd eaten, they did the dishes and then sat down to watch a movie. Elena had just opened the DVD player when there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Elena called out, her paranoia still in place after Katherine's visit this afternoon.

"Come and see."

"Bonnie," Elena muttered, with a frown.

Elena moved to the door and opened it. Elena felt the panic set in as she took in who was at her door; Bonnie, Jeremy, Caroline, Stefan…and Chris.

"Surprise!" they chorused.

"You wouldn't come to us; so we came to you," Bonnie said to her.

"Come on, 'Lena, let us in," Jeremy said to her. "We brought alcohol. Don't want you drinking alone on a Saturday night."

It was Caroline who looked past her, and must have seen Damon. "Umm, guys, I don't think she's alone."

One by one, they filed past her silently, except for Chris, who gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You look real pretty," he told her.

Elena felt herself blush, but she wasn't sure if that was because of Chris, or because Damon was most likely watching them.

She took her time to close the door, not wanting to turn around and see the look on everyone's face. She'd lied to her friends; lied by omission, and now Damon was about to meet _everyone_, whether he wanted to or not. Her thoughts of a relaxing evening vanished. Two was company; seven was a crowd, especially when it included Damon, and Chris. She hoped Jeremy had bought the entire liquor store with him, because she'd suddenly discovered the urge to get drunk tonight. Elena turned around just in time to see her brother address Damon.

"I'm Jeremy. Who the hell are you?"

* * *

Note to self: re-read A/N, for epic errors.

A/N: So, it looks like last chapter I wrote that there would be another 16-20 chapters, when what I really meant to write is that this fic would be 16-20 chapters in total. I can see some of you pumping your fist at me, and others sighing a sigh of relief. I will say that I was shocked by how many of you liked the idea of so many chapters. With the overwhelming support I receive from all of you, I'm inclined to want to give you what you want. That said, I can't see this fic being another 70,000-90,000 words - I might give birth first, if it goes for that long :) That said, this story does have more chapters than I'd originally counted, and I don't want to miss out on opportunities the way I did with LIALM. So, I'm going to write the story the way I always intended, and I'll keep you guys in the loop about how we're looking chapter wise. Everyone happy?

Next chapter is going to be one big party, with the four boys and three girls. I hope you're all pumped, and no-one died from chocolate overdose on the weekend. As always, thanks for reading, and please review.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Picking up right where we left off.

* * *

**Chapter 17**

Damon mentally rolled his eyes at the guy who had walked in front of him and was coming dangerously close to getting in his face. He had a few muscles, but Damon could take him without breaking a sweat. He would take Chris too, if he kissed Elena again. He didn't care how long he'd known the guy. Elena was his girl now, and that meant everyone else needed to keep their hands off her.

As if sensing where Damon's thoughts were heading, Stefan quickly stepped in to make the introduction. Damon noticed Elena was predisposed in the kitchen, downing the rest of her glass of wine.

"Jeremy, this is my brother, Damon. Damon is Elena's client." Stefan actually looked at him as if to say, that better be it. "Jeremy is Elena's _brother_."

Stefan was giving him the whole, please don't make trouble look. Jeremy stuck out his hand, and Damon shook it.

"Beer?" Jeremy asked, motioning to the large bag obviously containing alcohol.

"Thanks," Damon told him, as he took one.

He hoped there were more where that came from, because he didn't do these kinds of gatherings, and he wouldn't last long without a steady supply. As Jeremy and Chris walked back into the kitchen, where the three girls were whispering, Stefan stood next to him, crossed his arms and leaned in.

"Tell me you're not sleeping with her," Stefan whispered.

"What if I am?" he asked his brother, not in the mood for his holier than thou crap tonight.

"Elena's a nice girl," Stefan told him seriously, rocking back on his heels. "You can't mess around with a girl like her."

"I'm not messing around," Damon told him through gritted teeth.

He really didn't want to talk about this with his brother. It was none of his business.

"Girls like that want to settle down," Stefan said to him. "You're not the type to settle down. You have to think about Elena."

Think about her; all he ever did was think about her. "I don't want to hurt her. I care about her."

That was all he was giving him. He wasn't about to pour his heart out to the brother that had judged him frequently over the past however many years.

"You care about her?" Stefan asked him.

He could do without the whole shocked expression. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"You've told her about Lucy then?" Stefan asked now.

"No."

"Have you told her about Dad?"

"No."

"Does she know that you never want children, or to get married?"

"Our relationship is new. There's time to talk about that stuff."

"Don't you think she has a right to know what she's getting into?"

There wasn't a thing Stefan had said to him that Damon hadn't already thought himself. His brother had voiced every fear Damon felt about this relationship, out loud. He was saved from having to form a response when Jeremy and Chris came back, and stood in front of them. He hoped they weren't going to sit around, talk football and pat each other on the back for the next couple of hours. His talk with Stefan was about as much male bonding as he could handle right now.

"So, you're Elena's client," Jeremy said to him, starting a conversation.

Damon looked to Elena, wondering what he should tell her brother, but she was still deep in conversation with her friends. He didn't want to say the wrong thing.

"Yeah."

"Bonnie tells me I come off a bit strong sometimes, but Elena's always looked out for me, and I don't want to see her hurt again."

Damon was mulling over the fact that he had to contend with her brother being protective, and his own brother being protective of Elena as well. He heard the warning in Jeremy's words and knew Jeremy didn't buy his 'just client' answer.

"Again?" Damon questioned him.

"I haven't seen her with anyone since Matt," Jeremy explained.

"Her ex-fiancé?"

"You know about Matt?" Jeremy asked him, surprised.

"Elena introduced me to him at the launch of my book tour. He was there with his new fiancée."

Jeremy shook his head. "Bonnie never told me why they split up, but Elena was devastated." Jeremy took a seat on the couch. "I thought Matt was a nice guy, you know."

"It's always the nice guys," Chris told to him, sitting down next to Jeremy, with his beer. "Is she still hung up on the dude?"

"How should I know? Elena doesn't talk to me. She talks to Bonnie though. They tell each other everything."

It was disappointing Jeremy couldn't answer more about Elena's ex-fiancé. With everything that had been going on, he'd forgotten about the guy who had made her steer clear of relationships for years.

_"He wanted something…something he thought I was lacking."_

What on earth could she have been lacking? The woman had it all. He made a mental note to ask her later, if he got through this evening.

"Women always talk," Stefan said, nodding, like he was some kind of expert on the subject.

Damon could only imagine what Elena had told Bonnie about him. Judging by the scowls Bonnie had already thrown his way a couple of times, it probably wasn't good.

"They always go to the toilet together," Chris added.

All three guys were nodding now. Is this what men talked about in groups now? Women's toileting habits?

"How long have you and Bonnie been married?" Chris asked Jeremy.

"Two years," Jeremy answered.

"Still good?" Chris asked.

Damon wondered if Chris was one of those rare breeds of man who was actually eager to tie the knot.

"She's my best friend," Jeremy told them. "I can't imagine life without her."

At that moment Elena looked up at him. She gave him a private smile that made him feel like a king, and he thought Jeremy's words didn't really sound that crazy. Damon already couldn't imagine his life without Elena in it. That was the reason he had agreed to having this relationship after all.

Elena tried to concentrate on the fact that Damon was still here, despite the fact that the expression on his face several minutes ago had told her he'd wanted to run out the door. At least Stefan was here. She knew the brothers weren't exactly on the best of terms but Damon knew Stefan, and Chris, and hopefully that might be enough to stop him from leaving.

"Elena, are you even listening to me?"

Elena stopped looking at the boys, to turn her attention back to Caroline and Bonnie, both of whom had been lecturing her on and off since they walked in the door.

"I tuned out," she told them.

"You know we're just worried about you right?" Caroline asked.

"This is what I want," Elena told them.

"He's not the type that will settle down. Can you really see your white picket fence fantasy with that man right there? What about marriage and children?" Bonnie asked her.

Elena had no idea what Damon's exact stance on marriage and children were, but considering he'd vowed never to try a relationship, she knew it wouldn't be promising. Marriage and children weren't in her immediate future, but it was something she wanted for herself someday. The thing was, she actually could see those things with Damon. Even if he had no desire for any of it, she could picture all of it.

"He might want it one day," she told them quietly.

"You can't walk into a relationship thinking that he'll change, or trying to change him."

Elena put her glass down. "I'm not walking into this with my eyes closed. I'm taking a risk, but I see the risk and I'm choosing to take it anyway." There was a pause for a minute. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"I have to say, I've never seen you like this," Bonnie told her.

"Like what?"

"I've never seen you so passionate about anything other than work before, and it's nice to see. In fact you're glowing." There was another pause. "Dear God, tell me you're not pregnant."

"No," Elena told her. "I'm on contraceptives."

"Since when?"

"Since the start of the tour. What? When I decided to get active again it seemed like a good idea."

"You are glowing though," Caroline told her.

"He makes me feel…" Elena trailed off, not even having the words to describe how she felt when she was around Damon.

"He makes you feel like a woman," Caroline sung, "W-O-M-A-N."

Elena and Bonnie both giggled and the men turned around to look at them. Elena didn't miss the smile Stefan shot Caroline, or the way Caroline smiled back at him.

"I think we need music," Caroline told them, leaving them to it.

"I think we just got dumped for the men," Elena said.

"Yes. Thrown overboard by our own gender. Happens all the time."

"Caroline is happy."

"And so are you. I hope it works out for you."

"Me too."

"And if it doesn't…"

"You guys warned me," Elena finished for her.

"And if it doesn't, I'll still be here with a shoulder for you to cry on," Bonnie corrected her. "Now, please open the M&Ms. I'm desperate for a chocolate fix."

Elena had just popped an M&M in her mouth and picked up the bowl to carry them into the lounge room, when Bonnie put her hand out to stop her. "Chris is really keen on you. It was his suggestion we come here."

Elena winced. She needed to tell Chris she was with Damon, but she didn't really fancy telling him in front of everyone else, or pulling him aside while everyone was here. That didn't seem fair. Nor did it seem fair to pretend she wasn't with Damon.

"What should I do?" she asked Bonnie.

At that exact moment music blared out of Elena's stereo speakers. Both of them cringed as Caroline started signing along to Wannabe by Spice Girls.

"She found my 90s CDs," Elena told Bonnie.

There was an audible groan from the males. Elena watched as Chris walked up to the stereo and picked up the CD case. He studied the song list on the back before changing the song. There was slightly more approval from the other gender when Cherry Pie by Warrant started playing. Caroline, not put out at all, started dancing along like she was in the video clip, causing Elena and Bonnie to laugh. Chris left the stereo and appeared at Elena's side.

"Give you a hand with anything?" he asked.

Elena shot Bonnie a helpless look, but Bonnie just smiled and took the chips and salsa she'd been holding over to the coffee table.

"Umm, thanks," Elena said to him, handing him the bowl of M&Ms.

She walked back into the kitchen, expecting him to take the bowl over to the coffee table. However, he followed her into the kitchen, and watched as she poured herself another glass of wine. She was glad Damon had switched to beer, because she would need the rest of the bottle, and maybe the two bottles she had stashed away. She could feel Damon's eyes on her and knew it wouldn't be long till he joined them.

"Is Damon just your client?" Chris asked her.

"Umm-"

"He's here on a Saturday night, and you told Caroline you were staying in."

Elena felt terrible. Chris might think she'd been stringing him along, but she had never meant to. She wanted to tell him that things with Damon were new, but now that she had the opportunity, she didn't know if she should tell him she was sleeping with her client. She didn't want to risk it, but she couldn't continue to let him think there was any chance for them either.

"I've known Damon a long time, Elena," Chris said to her. "He's almost like another brother to me. I like the guy, don't get me wrong. He throws an awesome party, and he can drink me under the table, but he's been messed up for a while now. He doesn't get involved with women."

Elena remained silent, and he continued. "Look, I'm looking for more than sex. If you want more too, let me know."

Elena could only nod dumbly as Damon joined them. Chris shot Damon a look before retreating back into the lounge.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked her, now that it was the two of them standing there.

"I'm fine."

"You seem uncomfortable," he said to her, motioning to the glass in her hand, which she had been steadily drinking through.

"It's a bit awkward with Chris here," she told him.

"He's into you."

"I know."

"Does he know you're not available?"

There was a slightly territorial and possessive quality to his voice that she'd never heard him use before.

"He's guessing you're not just here as my client."

Damon had actually heard Chris telling her he was after more than sex. Chris was a safer bet for a relationship than he was. He couldn't help thinking that she might decide she wanted more at any given time. How was she going to react when he told her he never wanted any of the things he already knew she did? She'd told him today that she was in love with him, but would that make any difference in the long run?

"Eleeeeeeeeena!"

"Bonnie's getting tipsy already," she told Damon.

Bonnie and Caroline walked up to them holding a box.

"Look what we found," Caroline said.

Elena groaned. They'd found the Secret Santa gift she'd been given at work a couple years back, from some slime ball who had never stopped asking her out. Thankfully, the guy had left six months after that Christmas.

"Strip or Disclose," Damon read off the box.

"You guys don't really want to play that," Elena told them.

"Yes we do," they chorused, nodding and giggling.

"It'll be fun," Bonnie said to her.

The three girls had rifled through the questions when they'd been drunk before, but they'd never actually played the game. Playing a stripping game with her brother seemed a bit…wrong. Not to mention she didn't need to hear her brother's answers to some of the questions in there.

"I don't really want to play that with my brother here."

"Party pooper," Caroline told her.

"What if we make it, disclose, or drink then?" Bonnie asked.

Elena was shaking her head, but Caroline grabbed hold of her hand and dragged her into the lounge. Bonnie followed, and Damon reluctantly moved back into the room. If someone had told him months ago that he would be spending a Saturday night playing a board game, and listening to New Kids On The Block, he would have laughed in their face. Didn't she have any decent rock music in her collection?

"So these are the rules," Caroline told everyone. "Each gender is asked a question. If you don't answer you have to take a shot."

"A shot of what?" Elena asked.

"I already checked," Bonnie said to her, "you still have that bottle of vodka in the freezer."

"I don't want vodka shots after red wine."

"Stop being a killjoy Elena and just play the game," Caroline said to her.

Chris, Jeremy, Stefan and Caroline squeezed onto her three seater sofa, though Caroline was almost across Stefan's lap. Elena sighed and took a spot on the floor. She didn't mind sitting on the floor, if her guests were comfortable; but she took the pillows Caroline offered her. Bonnie joined her on the floor, after shuffling the question cards, and Damon, after a hesitant look around, and another look at the door, took the last remaining seat in the arm chair.

"Who should go first, guys or gals?" Chris asked.

"Women before men?" Stefan suggested.

"Toss a coin," Bonnie suggested. "It's fairer that way."

Jeremy took a coin out of his wallet. "Heads or tails."

"Tails never fails, right girls?" Bonnie responded.

Jeremy flipped the coin. "Heads! Sorry, you answer first. What have we got in here?"

Jeremy took one of the cards out of the box. "Oh this is a good one. Women, disclose your most embarrassing boob story. Elena, I already know yours anyway."

Chris raised his eyebrows at her, Damon and Stefan both looked intrigued and Elena reddened.

"Tell us Elena," Caroline said.

"You know, I think I'll take the shot after all."

Jeremy was already laughing. "You have to tell them. It's too funny, seriously."

"Jer, no."

"If you don't, I will."

"Please tell us," Bonnie said to her. "Is this the time you were trying to impress what's his face?"

"Justin Hamilton," Elena muttered.

Justin Hamilton had been her crush when she was fifteen. Unfortunately, he'd only been interested in girls who had a chest size a good size larger than hers had been at the time. She looked around at the expectant faces, and realized she couldn't get away with not telling the story. She certainly didn't want Jeremy to tell his version.

"Come on, Elena," Caroline said. "Spill."

Taking a deep breath, Elena decided to get it over quickly. "I was at a dance. I thought it would be a good idea to stuff the front of my dress with bleached toilet tissue. I didn't realize that the disco lighting would make it glow through my dress."

"People were talking about it for ages," Jeremy added, putting his hands up as if he had breasts, "about this glowing white light in the front of her dress. She was called tissue tits for ages."

"Thank you Jeremy," Elena said, as she heard laughter break out around her. She picked up one of the pillows she'd been leaning on and threw it at him. He caught it, but he still spilled beer on his shirt.

"Damn it," he said.

"You deserve that," she told him.

She chanced a look at Damon. His lips were twitching, but he wasn't laughing. Stefan, and Chris, however, were laughing their asses off. Stefan finally stopped laughing and turned to Caroline.

"What's yours?" he asked her.

"I think I saw that where that happened," she said to Elena. "I had a Janet Jackson moment at the pool once. What about you Bonnie?"

"I've never had one."

"Lucky you," Elena said, taking a sip of her wine.

"Your turn," Bonnie said to the males. She picked a card out of the box. "Men, disclose what you think is sexy in a woman."

"Her smile," Stefan said.

"Her eyes," Jeremy said.

"The way she treats others," Chris said, looking at Elena.

"How good she is at her job," Damon said, also looking at her.

Elena reddened again, but this time it was from a better kind of embarrassment. Damon had told her before, how much he liked how good she was at her job, and how confident she was.

Next, Stefan took a question out of the box. "Women, disclose what turns you off about a guy."

"Dirt under the fingernails," Caroline said. "Ew."

"Definitely poor hygiene," Bonnie said.

"A sloppy kisser," Elena added.

All three girls nodded, before Caroline took a card from the box. "Men, disclose if you have you ever lied about having an orgasm."

"Nope," Damon said.

"No way," Chris said.

"Yes," Stefan said.

All of them laughed, and Stefan flushed and pulled at the collar of the shirt he was wearing.

"All the time," Jeremy said.

Bonnie grabbed a pillow from behind Elena, and threw it at her husband. "You do not."

Jeremy laughed. "Kidding, babe. You know I never fake it with you."

"Enough," Elena groaned.

Chris took a card out of the box. "Women, disclose some kinky behavior from an ex-boyfriend."

"I had a boyfriend who liked to wear my underwear," Bonnie started.

"Tell me you didn't marry that boyfriend," Caroline said to her.

"Hey!" Jeremy exclaimed.

Bonnie shook her head. "It wasn't Jeremy. It was an ex-boyfriend."

"Matt wanted me to pretend he was a horse, once," Elena said, laughing.

"Okay, that is weird," Bonnie told her.

"Was he chomping at the bit for it?" Chris asked, causing everyone to burst out laughing.

"Neigh," Caroline added. "I had a boyfriend once who wanted to smell my feet all the time. I would let him before we…you know."

"Okay, that's weirder than the horse thing," Bonnie told her.

Elena picked up a card to from inside the box, and read it to herself. She did not want to ask that question out loud. She already knew what Damon's answer would be. This should be a private conversation for another time, which was exactly why she hadn't wanted to play the game. It was too revealing. She was just wondering if she could put it back when Bonnie snatched it out of her hand.

"Men, disclose if you have ever cheated on a girlfriend," Bonnie read aloud.

"Nope," Chris said, straight off the bat.

"I dumped a girl in the same day that I started up with another," Stefan said.

"That's a no, then," Caroline said happily.

"Once," Jeremy said solemnly, "on Crystal. I regretted it straight away, and broke up with her."

Damon knew it was his turn to answer. He'd only had one proper girlfriend before Elena, and he'd cheated on her more than once; a lot more than once, and when she'd been entirely too vulnerable. Suddenly all eyes were on him.

"Yes," he answered simply. However, his answer should have been; 'I'm a cheating bastard that's not fit for a relationship, but I'm having one anyway with your friend/sister.' He met Elena's eyes. "On Lucy."

Elena nodded. She'd already known that, anyway, hadn't she? Why else would he have been so against having a relationship? She knew he didn't want to talk about Lucy because he wasn't proud of his behavior, but he'd been forced into it by this stupid game. She hadn't wanted to hear it like this, in front of everyone, and she doubted he had wanted to say it in front of everyone.

They played a few more rounds, before Elena hinted she was tired. People took the hint quickly. The atmosphere had gone down hill a bit since Damon had answered that question, and everyone was more than willing to leave them alone. All of them traipsed out the same way they came in, rather quietly. She hugged each of them, and thanked them for coming.

Chris darted a quick glance at Damon on the way out before stopping in front of Elena. "Call me…if you want to."

Elena gave him a polite smile, and noted he didn't try to kiss her on the cheek this time, probably because the hard look in Damon's eye was a little terrifying. Chris shuffled along quickly.

Stefan and Caroline were the last to leave. "Thanks for having us, Elena," Stefan said to her. Then he addressed Damon. "So it's Aunt Lydia's birthday tomorrow. Mom's hosting. You should come; bring Elena. I'm taking Caroline."

Elena held her breath, waiting for Damon to answer. Instead of the quick yes she was hoping for, there was strained silence for several beats, before Damon responded.

"We'll talk about it," he told them.

Her heart sunk, and she couldn't help feeling a little envious of the fact that Caroline had only met Stefan a week ago, and she was already part of Stefan's life. Stefan had no hesitation about taking her home to meet his mom, but obviously Damon didn't have those same feelings when it came to her.

"Remember what I said, Damon," Stefan told him seriously.

"Will do, Stefan," Damon returned coolly.

A look passed between the two brothers, but Elena thought it held the context of an entire conversation. The brothers had obviously exchanged words earlier, but Elena couldn't work out what had been said. As they closed the door behind them, disappointment and hurt warred with reason and logic. They'd been together for a day, she was expecting too much, part of her said, but another part of her was asking if it would always be like this. Would he ever let her in?

Damon knew Elena was disappointed with the answer he'd given to Stefan. His brother was well intentioned, but Damon was still annoyed that Stefan had so purposefully set the cat amongst the pigeons. He understood Stefan was looking out for Elena. Everyone was looking out for Elena. He couldn't blame them. From the moment he'd met her, he'd realized she was worth protecting. Despite the fact that he'd been dead set against a relationship, or forming an emotional attachment to someone, he'd fallen hook, line, and sinker for her.

The idea of letting her go was absolutely terrifying. It was why he'd agreed to a relationship. It was why he couldn't stay away from her, no matter how much he wanted to. It was why the idea of her with another guy, almost obliterated him, even if that someone would be better for her. It was the reason he didn't want her to meet him mom, his family, and learn about Lucy. He didn't think he could cope with seeing the disgust, horror, and contempt that she would no doubt feel when she learned about his past.

Yet, keeping her in the dark wasn't going to work either. There was only so long he could put it off. He was going to lose her either way. If she knew who he was and what he'd done, she would reject him, and if he tried to shield her from it, she would keep pushing him for more. He felt completely torn as they both crawled into bed. Did he try and hold onto her for as long as he could, or should he open himself up to the heartache now?

They lay there in silence, for a short while. Eventually he rolled onto his side, and she copied him, so they were facing each other in the bed.

"I'm sorry about tonight," she said to him, waving a hand. "I never thought they'd all just turn up like that."

He gave a slight shrug. "They're your friends. They thought you were alone."

"Jeremy and Bonnie can be a little over-protective at times."

"They don't want to see you hurt. Jeremy mentioned you were devastated when you and Matt split up."

"Yeah. I was."

"Can I ask what happened? Why it ended?"

Elena couldn't help thinking that it was a little unfair he got to ask that question, when he was so closemouthed with her. Sure she'd found out something about Lucy tonight, but it wasn't anything she hadn't already figured out, and it hadn't come because he'd wanted to tell her.

She'd never told anyone about why she and Matt split up. Not even Bonnie; not the truth anyway. It was still a sore spot, and it was challenging to be truthful about her biggest insecurity. She was already fighting the fear that he would figure out what Matt had, and leave her.

He stroked the side of her face, with his thumb. "If you don't want to tell me, that's okay."

Then she would be choosing to be closemouthed because he was. It was a long time since she'd been in a relationship, but she knew that doing something just because the other person did it wasn't a recipe for success. If she wanted this to work, she would have to share some of herself, whether he chose to do the same or not.

She took a deep breath. "He thought I was boring in bed. I didn't satisfy him."

Damon's bark of laughter was the last thing she expected. She was mortified he was laughing at her, but he stopped as quickly as he started when he saw her expression.

"You're serious?" he asked her, frowning.

She blinked several times, feeling the prickling sensation of tears behind her eyes. "He said I lacked imagination."

Damon was dumbfounded. Of all the things it could have been, that would have to be the last thing on his list. In fact it wouldn't even be on the list. Elena was biting her lip, her eyes downcast, not meeting his, and it reminded him of how vulnerable she truly was. He forgot sometimes, because she was so confident when it came to her job, and other areas of her life.

_"What if a woman's not good in the bedroom? Will she have to spend her lifetime alone?"_

Her question from before they went on tour came back to him now, and anger coursed through him. This ex-fiancé of hers had effectively shattered her self-esteem in the bedroom. He felt one hand clench into a fist by his side. She truly believed Matt had been right.

"Look at me, Elena." He put his finger under her chin and tilted her head upwards, so she was looking at him. "He wasn't right."

She nodded, but he could see she wasn't convinced. "You need to listen to me," he told her. "You're not boring in the bedroom, you don't lack imagination, and you satisfy me. Hell, you more than satisfy me."

She gave him a small smile, before she said, "I can't do what the yoga girls do."

He was thrown for a moment, until he remembered the book she was looking at earlier today. "Baby, I would take one time with you, over a lifetime with any of those other girls."

He leaned in and kissed her then, and she moved closer to him, so they could kiss and touch each other more easily. She tasted of mint toothpaste, and wine, and it was one hell of a combination.

Elena made him feel more emotionally and physically than anyone he'd ever been with. She could get into places that none of the other girls had been able to; his heart, his soul. She'd moved through every barrier and wall he'd erected, and for the second time that day, he found himself thinking that she had no idea how much he wanted her, thought about her, needed her. How much he loved her.

When Elena pulled away, needing to draw breath, he tried to explain it to her a little.

"What you do to me Elena; what I feel when I'm with you, it's beyond anything I've ever experienced before. You're perfection to me," he told her.

His hands went to the hem of the tank top she was wearing. She sat up a little, so he could pull it over her head, before she lay down again.

"Have I told you how perfect I think your breasts are?" he asked her, taking one of her nipples in his mouth. Her hands dove into his hair, as each flick of his tongue sent hot bolts of pleasure rocketing through her body. "Everything about them drives me crazy; their shape, their size, their color."

When he went back to adoring her breasts with his mouth, she hoped he didn't require a response. She was incapable of speech at the moment. Her ability to talk didn't improve any as he made his way down her body, worshiping her with his soft lips, and his hot tongue, and occasionally the scrape of jaw against her flesh. As he settled himself between her legs, and removed her underwear he looked at her. "Have I told you, that the taste of you is the biggest turn-on in this world?"

Her response came out as gibberish, as he held her hips firmly and set to work between her thighs. Every flick and stroke, and slide of his tongue; every tug of his mouth wound the coil that much tighter. She closed her eyes tightly to block out all other sensation, her hands still in his hair. She was burning up; her knees were shaking, and when he took her clitoris into his mouth and slid one, and then two fingers inside of her, there was an explosion of light behind her eyelids as he pushed her over the edge.

"Oh Damon," she cried. "I think I'm blind."

He chuckled as she rode out her orgasm on his fingers. "Not blind baby, just well-loved."

His words made her feel deliriously happy. She heard the rustle of his boxers coming off and then he was positioned between her legs, his erection pressing against her slick inner lips. His gaze was so hot on hers.

"Don't ever doubt what you do to me, Elena."

With that, he plunged inside her, joining them together in the most intimate way. His eyes never left hers. Even when she went to look away, because the intimacy was just too much, he touched her face, forcing her to look at him again. His eyes looked deeply into hers as she met each of his thrusts. Elena had never felt so emotionally or physically connected to anyone in her life, and she felt tears prickling behind her eyes again. He shifted his weight higher, so she felt the shaft of his erection against her already sensitive nub.

"Oh yes," she said.

Her hips were lifting off the bed a little now, to better receive every hot hard inch of him. She felt her body tense right before it shattered. He joined her straight away, both of them riding the high out together, clinging desperately to each other.

Afterward Damon was silent for a while. She was wrapped up in his arms, and he couldn't help thinking that she was even more vulnerable than he had originally thought. Matt had hurt her so badly, and now she was in a position where she could get hurt again. Stefan was right; Elena deserved to know what she was getting into. Tomorrow, he would tell her everything. He would take her home to meet his family, and then she would more than likely end it for good. She'd wanted a relationship this morning, but would she still want one by the end of tomorrow. He swallowed hard. His throat felt tight as he tried to talk.

"I want you to come home with me tomorrow," he told her, "meet my family."

It was incredible how her whole energy shifted. She smiled at him; a beautiful, bright, heartfelt smile that told him she was ecstatic he wanted her there.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

The happiness she was exuding only served to highlight the doom and gloom he felt internally at the prospect of her seeing and understanding who he was, and what he was capable of. Whatever she decided, though, he could handle it. Couldn't he?

* * *

A/N: Mama Salvatore next chapter, and the story about Lucy. Relationships fascinate me, as too does the baggage people bring in with them.

I hope you enjoyed this party (if you can call seven people that?) chapter. As always, thanks for reading and please review.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Late update this week, sorry. To say I've been distracted by stuff in R/L would be a giant understatement. That included digging up spoilers about the upcoming finale. I'm too excited for words. I'd like to say thank you to Daisy for sending me all the spoilers she finds. You rock!

This chapter didn't go exactly as I planned, but then that seems to happen pretty regularly with this story. I am hoping to have the next chapter up sooner. I've edited this as much as I can, but my eyelids are heavy, and I can only hope I'm not missing too much.

* * *

**Chapter 18**

Caroline called on Sunday morning to find out if Elena would be attending Aunt Lydia's family birthday get together. Caroline's excitement when Elena gave her the answer echoed her own. She still had a long way to go with Damon, but he was opening up to her. Last night she'd laid herself bare before him, and had been rewarded with reassurance and tenderness that made her melt just remembering.

"Are you still listening to me, Elena? Or are you thinking about what Damon did to you in bed last night?" Caroline asked her.

Fantasizing about one fantastic new boyfriend: check. Tuning out on Caroline debating whether to wear green or blue: also check.

"I'm here, Care. Go with the green. You love that dress."

"You're right. Okay, well I'm going to go and start on my hair." Caroline gave a light squeal. "I hope Mrs Salvatore likes me."

Elena assured her friend everything would go well, before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. Elena had just been excited that Damon asked her to go, but after speaking to Caroline, she too was beginning to feel nervous. What if Mrs Salvatore didn't like her? Mothers could be extremely fussy about the women their sons brought home. She took a deep breath in and exhaled. Everything would be fine.

Damon had left her to go shower half way through her conversation with Caroline. She walked into the bathroom now to find out if he'd fallen down the plughole.

"What are you doing in there?" she asked him.

"I told you to join me."

"I was on the phone. Caroline had a color emergency."

"Color emergency?"

She thought she heard him mutter something about women, and Elena pulled back the shower curtain to find him with shaving cream on his face, and a shaver in hand. "How can you shave without a mirror?"

"Easy. Just watch."

She stood and watched him finish shaving, fascinated by the way he did it all by feel. When he was done, he turned the water off, stepped out of the shower, and wrapped one of her hot pink towels around his hips. Her bad boy wearing nothing but a hot pink towel was more than a little amusing, and she couldn't keep the grin off her face as she brushed her teeth.

"Something has amused you," Damon said to her.

She bent over to spit out the toothpaste, and rinse her mouth out. When she stood up, he was right behind her. He swept her hair to one side, so he could kiss her neck.

"No. Not at all," Elena said, unable to stop looking at his buff body in hot pink.

"What is so funny?" he asked, when he felt her slight frame trembling with the laughter she was trying to hold in.

"Pink really suits you," she told him, doing her best to keep a straight face. "You should wear it more often."

"You know what else I should wear more often?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "Please don't say me."

"I wouldn't dream of it, but since you said it..."

His hands moved to her hips, slipping under her singlet, and tracing patterns over her belly. She shivered as he put his lips back on her neck, and sucked gently.

"Damon," she said, breathlessly. "You can't give me a hickey before I meet your family."

"Why not?"

Damon had been trying his hardest not to think about his aunt's birthday since he woke up, and now Elena was giving him the best possible type of distraction. He kissed a trail from her neck to her shoulder, sliding the strap of her tank top down; wanting, needing to indulge in her. He nipped at her with his teeth softly, feeling the tremor that ran through her, before cupping her buttocks and gently squeezing her behind. He didn't want to think about whether this would be the last Sunday morning they would spend together, or what she would say to him later. Right now he just wanted to remind her how much he wanted her. She was the most amazing, caring, and beautiful woman, inside and out.

Elena could feel him hardening underneath the towel, his erection nudging her bottom. She moved her hips from side to side, teasing him, feeling him grow harder still. She sucked in a breath as his hands slipped under her top again, one of his hands moving to fondle her breasts, the other delved into her shorts, and into her underwear, seeking out her hot, wet center. Her arms stretched out and grabbed onto the counter in front of her.

"Look at us, Elena."

At some point she'd closed her eyes. Now she opened them and found him watching her in the mirror. The highly erotic vision was one so captivating she couldn't look away from it. Her lips were slightly parted, her breath coming out in short quick breaths. Her eyes had darkened and looked closer to black than to brown, and rich color had flooded her cheeks. Coming face to face with her own desire in the past would have made her feel shy, or embarrassed, but now she felt confident and sensual – and adored. The man and the woman in the mirror were clearly in love, and in lust, enjoying each other.

Damon's hair was slicked back, still damp from his shower, and she could smell the shaving cream he'd used; it was something male and spicy, and inordinately sexy. His eyes were wide, and dark, and she could both feel and see how much he was enjoying touching her. Elena thought they looked like an advertisement for sex. His touch, which had been soft and exploratory at first, became firmer and more insistent between her legs. She turned around ever so slightly, so she could kiss him. It was awkward, but as his lips collided roughly with hers, his fingers took her to the brink. She cried out against his mouth as wave after wave of sensation stole through her.

Damon's erection twitched against her ass, begging for attention. She pulled on the towel he was wearing and it fell off quickly; her hand wrapping around his length. His head went back and she stroked him gently. She never took her eyes off him in the mirror as her hand worked up and down his length. Moisture pearled at the tip of his shaft and she thumbed the head softly.

"Bend over," he told her.

"Damon, the bedroom is just down the hall," she told him breathlessly.

"I don't feel like waiting."

His words made the simmering heat in her tummy erupt into burning need. He pushed down her shorts and panties, and when they fell in a pool at her feet, she moved her feet out of them. She gripped the counter, leaning over slightly, and felt the hard length of him between her thighs. His hands were holding her hips tightly now and she leaned forward even further, trying to put him in the direct vicinity of where she wanted him. She felt the tip of his cock at her entrance, pushing lightly against her wet and swollen folds.

He waited for her eyes to find his in the mirror. Her mouth formed a perfect O, which was followed by the noise "oh", as he started to inch himself inside of her. His controlled entry was enough to drive her out of her mind. She needed more of him, but with her hands gripping the counter, and his hands tightly holding her hips, she had no control over his pace or depth.

"Don't tease," she told him.

"You enjoy it so much more when I do."

"Deeper. Harder. Now."

She leaned over further still, so that her forearms were now resting on the cool counter, and she angled herself for the best possible penetration. She was rewarded by him thrusting his hips forward, filling her completely; her slick walls tightening around him. She couldn't tear her gaze away from his as he started to withdraw. His jaw was locked, his eyes were cloudy; seeing, yet not really seeing, as he slammed back into her body. She was a voyeur to her own pleasure; to their pleasure. His groans grew louder and louder as he pumped into her over and over again.

"I can't hold on," he told her.

He thrust into her one final time, exploding inside of her; the spasm triggering her own release. His hips didn't stop moving until she'd milked every last drop from him.

* * *

After both of them were properly dressed, and ready, they headed to the shops to pick up a birthday present for his aunt.

"What does she like?" Elena asked him.

"Mom said she likes gardening."

Damon had called his mother earlier, while Elena was in the shower, to tell her he would be there today, and that he was bringing a friend. Referring to Elena as a friend had been for Elena's benefit. It had been his attempt to reduce the comments and history that would be dumped upon her this afternoon. His mother, however, had seen right through it, and her excitement that he was bringing a woman home only made him all the more nervous. Of course he'd tried to warn her not to mention anything about grandchildren, but he doubted that had done any good.

"Okay, how about these?" Elena asked him, pointing at some weird spiky looking green thing.

It was all very domestic, he thought, spending a Sunday morning picking out flowers. They settled upon a rare plant which sprouted purple and red flowers at odd times of the year. He couldn't remember its Latin name or its other name, but Elena seemed to know both of them. He had a vision of her pottering in the garden after retirement; her own grandchildren running around the yard. It was a hard picture to swallow, because he'd never be the man to share that with her. He tried to ignore the part of him that asked; what was he doing with her if they had no future? The future was the future, he told himself, and this was the present. Right now, at this moment in time, he couldn't walk away from her.

Damon had been so quiet on the way to his mother's house that Elena wondered if he was regretting his decision to take her. He pulled up to the curb outside his mother's house, turned off the ignition, and looked at her. She waited for him to speak, but when he said nothing, she began to worry that something was wrong. Did he think bringing her here was a mistake? Did he want to take her home?

She touched his arm softly. "Damon?"

He rubbed his hand over his eyes a couple of times and looked at her again. "Before we go in there, I need to tell you something. My family, they're not what you'd expect."

Damon wasn't sure exactly what he should say about his family; about what was left of his family. His mother would welcome her with open arms, but the rest of them would not.

Elena smiled at him reassuringly. "Let me guess; they're different, they're strange, they're like no-one else's."

"Well yes, but-"

"Damon, everyone thinks their family is different."

Did he warn her about the nest of poisonous women she was about to walk into? If she spent much longer with him, she'd most likely end up joining them.

"What you see in there," he nodded towards the red brick home, "it will most likely change your opinion about me, and about what you want for us. I want you to know, that if that happens, I understand."

Elena wanted to laugh. What could possibly change her mind about how much she loved him, and what she wanted? However, his expression was intense and serious. Elena realized that any doubts and hesitation she'd picked up from him, about her meeting his family, weren't because of what his family might think about her, but about what she might think of them. He thought she couldn't meet his family without turning away from what they had.

How could he love her so much, but believe she'd run the other way as soon as she learned anything about him? She knew he had a past. He'd never tried to hide that fact from her, and she knew there were things in his past he wasn't proud of.

"Whatever is behind that door, Damon, won't change how I feel about you."

"I hope it won't," he said to her, giving her a smile that never reached his eyes. He pulled her closer so he could kiss her.

Elena sighed. He still believed he wasn't relationship material. Just because he'd entered into a relationship with her didn't change any of the thoughts and feelings he'd had about himself for some time. In his mind he had tried to warn her, but she would still walk away when she discovered the 'truth.' The fact that he was willing to allow her to make that choice showed what type of man he was. The only way she could change what he thought was to get in there and help him face his demons head on.

"Shall we?" she asked him.

"Let's go," he said to her, taking the keys out of the ignition.

Elena grabbed the flower pot they'd bought for his aunt, and they made their way to the front door of the house. Damon knocked twice before opening it.

"Mom," he called.

"Damon!"

An attractive woman in her mid to late fifties bustled down the darkish hall towards them. Elena guessed she was Mrs Salvatore. She was carrying a little weight, but Elena thought she must have been stunning in her youth. Her hair was dark, but streaked with grey in places. Her smile was warm and inviting, and her eyes were dark brown and soft. Elena liked her straight away. The apron she was wearing, and the smudge of flour on her cheek, said she was cooking up some sort of storm.

She hugged her son before turning to her. "You must be Elena."

"Hello," Elena returned, wishing she'd brought something to contribute, even though Damon had told her not to.

Elena barely had time to blink, before she too was being embraced warmly. The scent of nutmeg and cinnamon reminded her of how long it had been since she had eaten anything.

"For years, my boys never bring anyone home, now today both of them bring someone. My prayers have been answered," she said.

"Ma," Damon said.

Elena shot a sideways glance at Damon, who was shaking his head, and looking less amused and more uncomfortable. Was this what he was worried about? An overenthusiastic mother? Surely not.

"Don't you make that face, Damon Salvatore. It's taken thirty years for you to bring someone home." She turned to Elena. "Come, come. I'll introduce you to the rest of the family," she told her.

Elena found herself being walked down a hall, and into the kitchen, where a bunch of women were sitting. The smile she'd been wearing slipped a little, as they all stared at her. Their eyes were filled with something that Elena couldn't put a name to, and if that wasn't disconcerting enough, Caroline was already there, and she looked more than a little uncomfortable. In fact the look on her face clearly said 'get me out of here, now.'

Elena was so busy being overwhelmed by the sea of unwelcoming faces that she had actually forgotten Damon was there. She felt his hand on the small of her back now. There was a murmur from the corner of the room and Elena noticed the woman who made the noise was the oldest woman in the room. Her face was severely lined, and her mouth was tilted downwards. The woman stood up, albeit stiffly, and leaned heavily on her cane, walking over to the two of them.

She pointed her cane at Damon. "I thought you had learned your lesson."

"Mama," Damon's mother cried.

"I won't be silenced," Damon's grandmother said loudly. "For too long, I stand and watch every man in this family ruin lives. No more."

"This is my house," Damon's mother returned. "This woman is a guest in my home, and I will not have you talk to my son that way in front of his lady."

The old woman huffed. "You of all people should be taking this innocent girl aside and talking some sense into her, and Carole too."

"Caroline," Elena heard Caroline say behind her.

"That's enough," Damon's mother said.

"It's not enough. It was never enough. I tried to warn you about Giuseppe. You wouldn't listen. Now look at you. You lose your house, you job, your-"

"That's enough, I said. I won't ask you again."

The old woman harrumphed and leaned on her stick, looking from Elena to Caroline. "Run. Run as fast as possible, before you end up like the rest of us here."

She hobbled out of the room, leaving Elena there is stunned silence. Then Damon's mother turned to her. "I apologize. She means well, but she's lived a difficult life, and she sees the worst in people and situations."

"By people, she means men," Damon informed Elena.

Elena had a billion different questions running through her head, but she could ask them later. She took his hand and gave it a quick squeeze, and the look of surprise on his face reminded her he really did expect her to turn tail and run like his grandmother had suggested she should do.

"She means well, Damon. Stefan is outside, go say hello to your brother. What can I get you to drink, Elena?" his mother asked.

Damon wasn't overly impressed by the dismissal. Being introduced to the Salvatores was like baptism by fire. Elena would quickly learn everything she needed to know about the family, and everything she needed to know about him. When she mouthed to him to 'go', he was somewhat reassured by the fact that she didn't mind being left alone. He could stay and argue with him mother, but he would lose.

Caroline, he noticed, looked like she wanted to break for the door. Stefan hadn't prepared her for what she would be walking into. He gave Elena a kiss on the cheek, and went to search for Stefan. The women inside, and men outside, was the way family gatherings had been for a long time now. It wouldn't be long till Elena twigged there were no men about.

"Damon, Damon!" Joey screamed happily, as Damon walked down the back steps and into the backyard.

A dark haired boy flung his arms around Damon's waist and held on for dear life, making Damon feel guilty. While staying clear of the family was a form of self preservation, his absence meant he couldn't shield the boy from the hatred Damon knew was inside the house behind him. Fortunately, Stefan was around most of the time, but Joey Salvatore needed as many male figures around as possible. The eight year old was still young and impressionable.

"You came?" Stefan said, clearly surprised.

"You were right. Elena deserves to know the truth."

Damon expected some smug, condescending reply, but instead Stefan looked more concerned. "How did Caroline seem?"

"Like she was about to break for the exit at any minute."

"I didn't want to leave her with them, but you know what Mom's like."

"She told Elena her prayers had been answered," Damon told Stefan.

Stefan shook his head and chuckled softly. "She's been waiting for this day for a long time."

"Pity she's still not going to get what she wants."

"We're playing soccer," Joey told Damon enthusiastically, cutting off further conversation.

"Soccer. Really?"

"Are you going to play too?"

"Okay, but prepare to lose."

"You can't beat me. I'm the world champion at this game, aren't I Stefan?"

"It's true," Stefan said. "Joey's the best."

"I don't believe it. Show me what you've got."

Inside Elena was being introduced to the rest of the family, a glass of wine in hand, the plant for his aunt in the other. Mrs Salvatore had told Elena to call her Anita. Now she was just attempting to memorize the rest of the names.

"The woman, who has left us to sit in the other room, is Caterina Salvatore, Damon's grandmother. This is Damon's Aunt Lydia."

Lydia's hair was in a tight bun, making the woman's face look pinched. Lydia smiled tightly. "Nice to meet you."

Her facial expression left little to no doubt in Elena's mind that she actually meant the exact opposite. Elena smiled anyway, and handed her the plant she's picked out earlier. She didn't know how long Damon would be outside. He had in fact not said hello to any of his family.

"For your birthday," Elena told her.

Lydia raised an eyebrow as she took the plant. "Thank you. You have good taste when it comes to flowers, anyway."

Elena didn't miss the look that passed between Damon's mom and his aunt.

"These are Damon's cousins Gabbie, and Bianca."

"Hello," they said stiffly.

"And this is Laura. Laura was married to Damon's cousin."

Elena found herself being offered a seat next to Caroline. "Is there anything I can help with?" Elena asked Anita.

"You sit and talk to your friend. She needs the company."

"Thank god you're here," Caroline whispered to her. "Stefan went outside as soon as I arrived."

"What's he doing out there?" Elena asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "But ever since I arrived I've heard one comment after another about how terrible men are."

It was then that Elena looked around the room and realized that there were no men in the room, and as far as she knew, in the house. While she'd been aware she was in a room full of women, she hadn't quite made the connection that the men were actually absent. Where were they?

She sat for a while and chatted to Caroline. She wouldn't have minded talking to the other women, but their expressions were closed and unhappy. Damon and Stefan were still nowhere to be seen, and Elena was getting the impression that she wouldn't see either of them until it was time to leave, or else everyone had gone. She stood and stretched, and without thinking, grabbed a tea towel with the intention of drying some of the dishes Anita was washing. Elena expected her to protest, but instead his mother smiled softly, before turning back to look at Caroline.

"Your friend looks unhappy,"

"Caroline is fine. She did wonder what is keeping Stefan though."

Anita nodded to the window in front of them. Elena followed her gaze and realized she could see Stefan, Damon and a young boy, around seven or eight years of age, playing in the backyard. Damon was wrestling with the boy on the ground, both of them laughing, and Elena could feel her heart expanding. She couldn't ever say she'd seen Damon look so carefree. The two of them got up off the ground and Damon pretended to take chase as the boy kicked a soccer ball along the ground, and between two outside chairs.

"I try and keep the boys out of the house," Anita told her.

"Why?"

"Both of them, though more so Damon, tend to take on the things said here. The women in this room have all been…devastated in some way by a Salvatore male."

Elena paused for a moment. "Every one of them?" she questioned.

Anita nodded. "My boys are different, but the others don't see it."

"They stay outside at every family event?"

"There's a lot of anger and hurt here. I thought keeping them away from it, and trying to limit it while they were around would make a difference. Now I'm not so sure. Stefan pretends it doesn't exist, while Damon has taken all of it on board. Such opposite extremes, and like with all extremes, unhealthy."

They fell into companionable silence, Anita continuing to wash up, and Elena drying each dish and stacking it on the side; both of them staring out the window at the two men in question. Elena had even more questions now, and Anita seemed open and friendly, but Elena didn't know how much she could ask Damon's mother without stepping over the line. It was, after all, the first time she'd met the woman.

When they'd finished washing the dishes, Anita was drawn into a conversation with one of Damon's cousins, and Elena found herself following a path of photographs. There were pictures of Stefan and Damon throughout the entire house. She'd actually taken one step into the living room, enticed by a larger photo of the Salvatore brothers, and missed seeing Damon's grandmother sitting there. Unable to turn away now, she walked over to study the photo she'd seen.

"That's my boy," Damon's grandmother told Elena, walking up behind her. She pointed to the man with his arms around smaller versions of Damon and Stefan. "Giuseppe Salvatore."

Elena couldn't get over the striking resemblance between Damon's father and Damon. They had the same dark hair, the same blue eyes, the same everything.

"Their looks aren't the only thing they share," Caterina told her, as if the older woman could read her mind. "Anita is in denial, that boy will bring you nothing but pain."

"You can't know that," Elena told her. No wonder Damon didn't believe he was relationship material.

"My two sons were both heart-breakers. I tried to warn Anita and Lydia, but like fools in love, neither of them would listen. Anita told me at the time that I didn't know my own son. But I knew only too well. Giuseppe and Geovanni's father, Alessandro, was a typical Salvatore man, and his mother tried to warn me. I should have listened when she said to me, 'Salvatore men are philanderers; they lie, they drink, and they have more charm than they know what to do with."

Elena shook her head, ready to jump to Damon's defense, but Damon's grandmother cut her off before she could.

"I can see you don't believe me, Child. You're stubborn, just like I was, and like Anita and Lydia too. We all ended up alone and heartbroken, without two pennies to rub together. Has my grandson told you about Lucy?"

Caterina took one look at her face, and nodded solemnly. "I didn't think so."

"If he hasn't already, he will," Anita said, walking in to the room. "Elena will leave us, please?"

Elena walked out of the room quickly. Anita's face had been fierce. She walked back to the kitchen just in time to see Damon walk through the back door, his hands on the shoulders of the boy. Elena smiled at them, and tried not to think about what Damon's grandmother had told her. Now she understood exactly what Damon had been trying to warn her about earlier. Elena walked over to them.

"Elena this is Joey, my cousin's son."

The boy with dark hair looked down at his feet, and Elena dropped down to his level.

"Hi Joey. I saw you playing soccer. You were pretty good."

His face lit up, and he looked at her. "You're pretty."

With this announcement the boy's cheeks turned pink.

"Thank you," she said to him, and the boy smiled.

Damon was smirking widely when she looked up at him. "Go give your mommy her flower," Damon told Joey.

"Are you ready to go?" Damon asked her, once Joey had run off.

She was more than ready to leave. She glanced over quickly to where she'd left Caroline. Her friend was smiling again now that Stefan had also come back inside, and Elena knew she would be fine.

"I'm ready," she told him.

"I just want to say goodbye to Mom."

"She's in the sitting room with your grandmother. I don't know how long they will be."

"You were in there with them?" he asked her.

"I was looking at a photo," she told him.

When he'd come inside he'd looked relaxed and happy. Now the tension was back in his frame and his face. "Come on, we're leaving," he said to her.

"Okay, let me just say goodbye to everyone."

Once they were done in the kitchen, they walked to the sitting room, where sliding doors had been closed. They could hear some kind of argument taking place inside. Damon opened the doors and popped his head into the room, halting their conversation.

"Mom, we're going."

Anita walked them to the door and followed them outside, before giving Elena a hug. "It was so nice to meet you, and I'll see you next time."

Elena wasn't sure if it was a demand or a question.

Damon didn't tell him mother that Elena probably would not come back. He was expecting some kind of lecture from her, about being away for so long, and visiting more often, but she surprised him entirely.

"I love you," she said to him, after he hugged her. She patted his face. "I'm very proud of you, every day. Never forget that."

"Thanks Mom," he mumbled, feeling hugely embarrassed by his mother's words.

He opened the car door for Elena, and watched her slide inside, before closing the door and heading around to his side of the car. He glanced Elena once they'd pulled away from the curb. She looked deep in thought.

"What did my grandmother say?" he asked her.

She looked at him. "She has a low opinion of the males in your family."

Damon nodded. "Did she bring up Lucy?"

"Only the name."

"Glad you came?" he asked her.

"Yes. I wanted to meet your family, and it doesn't matter what any of them say-"

"It does matter, Elena. You haven't heard anything yet."

"Then it's time to tell me, don't you think?"

"I do. But first we're making a stop."

Within ten minutes, they were at his place. He parked the car, and told her to wait outside the garage. A minute later he zoomed out on his motorbike. He took one of the two helmets he had with him, and handed her one. Elena looked at her watch. It was four pm on a Sunday afternoon and he wanted to go for a ride.

"I have some things I need to tell you; about my father, about Lucy, and about me; but I want to do it somewhere else. Will you come for a ride with me?"

Damon looked more vulnerable than she'd ever seen him look before, and Elena thought this was it. He was really going to tell her everything. She didn't hesitate.

"Of course."

"Get on."

Elena put the helmet that he'd given her on, and straddled the bike. "Where are we going?"

Her question was somewhat muffled, but he heard her anyway.

"You'll see."

She wrapped her arms around him. It was the first time she'd ever been on a motorbike and she was a little nervous as he took off down the driveway. As they reached the road, Elena had the thought that he'd spent the last however long in her world, and now she was finally going to see his world. She held on tightly, and told herself she was ready for anything he could show her.

* * *

A/N: It was my full intention to get to Lucy this chapter, but when I saw the length of this chapter and worked out what I still had to cover, I decided it would be better to cover it next chapter. An 8-10,000 word chapter is a bit beyond me at the moment. Apologies for that. Next chapter we're going to get a LOT of information.

Thanks for all your reviews, comments, PMs. They mean the world, and keep me going even when R/L is distracting. Thanks for reading and please review.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Happy belated birthday to Dandy Fairy Lily for yesterday. I hope 23 is everything you want it to be.

So, I'm real nervous about this chapter. I haven't had such a heavy dialogue chapter since LIALM, and the story with Lucy isn't the nicest one to tell, but I'm guessing you've probably figured that out by now.

* * *

**Chapter 19**

Elena was just starting to loosen her grip on Damon a little, when he turned into a street on the very outskirts of town. He stopped in front of an old, dirty white weatherboard house. Judging by the overgrown weeds, and decrepit state of the garden out the front, it was currently unoccupied. Damon turned off the bike, dismounted, and offered Elena his hand, so she could do the same.

Once she was off the bike, she took her helmet off and shook out her hair. Damon thought she looked like she belonged in a shampoo advertisement. He spent a moment imagining her in a leather jacket and stilettos. God, he was in a bad way; his and hers matching leather jackets next.

He led her around the back of the house. Next to the backdoor there was a window missing a piece of glass and Damon put his hand through the hole and fiddled with the lock. Elena watched him with a worried expression.

"Relax," he told her. "No-one lives here."

"I'm more worried about you cutting yourself on the glass."

"You're here for first aid."

Once he'd unbolted the door, he removed his arm, turned the handle, and pushed the door open. It groaned as if it hadn't been opened in a very long time. While Damon walked right in, Elena hesitated briefly, before stepping over the threshold.

She didn't like the feel of the place at all. It was more than the dirty windows, and floors. It was more than the fading sunlight which made the house feel dark. There was something about this place that made her want to shiver. Damon led her through a washing room, and into the kitchen, with ugly green laminate benches, and finally into a large open room with wooden floorboards and a fireplace filled with old newspaper.

"This is the first house I remember us living in," he said to her. "My father was a salesman at one of the car yards in town. He made good money. Mom said he could sell ice to Eskimos."

He was smiling, but there was a faraway look on his eyes.

"Your grandmother said, Salvatore men could be very…charming," she told him.

"She was right. Anyway, around the time I was seven, Dad stopped coming home for dinner every night. I asked Mom why he didn't come home anymore. She told me he was working late."

"But he wasn't working late," she guessed.

"He wasn't working the caryard, which closed at five pm every night." He paused. "One night, after Stefan and I had gone to bed, I heard Mom crying. I walked in and found her right here, at our table. When I asked her why she was crying, she told me that Dad wouldn't be coming home at all anymore."

It happened. It was always hard when it did, but it happened. She nodded, wanting him to continue.

"It turned our whole world upside down. He took our savings out of the bank and left town with some nineteen year old he'd met at the bar one night, and we lost everything; had to move in with my aunt. Mom hadn't had a job since I was born, but faced with two hungry mouths to feed, she found a job in town waiting tables. As soon as she could afford to, she went back to school, and studied business."

After being left for a younger woman, Anita had just got up, brushed herself off, and kept going.

"Wow," Elena said. "She was tough."

"She was because she had to be. Come on, I'll show you the rest of the house." He led her along a darkened hallway. "It used to be a nice place. That was my room."

To Elena it was just am empty room, but to Damon it was obviously more; perhaps a reminder of what was in his past. He went on to show her the rest of the house, before they wound up back in the room with the fireplace.

Damon threw his jacket on the dirty floor, and motioned for her to sit, before plonking himself down next to her. The sunlight was dwindling rapidly now, and Damon took a box of matches out of his pocket, lit one, and threw it into the grate. She watched the newspaper jump to life as flames devoured it. Damon reached in front on him and picked up a few scattered papers, before he scrunched them up, threw them into the grate, and continued on with his story.

"Between school and work, we didn't see much of Mom," he told her.

"That would have been hard on you and Stefan."

"We managed."

"You played big brother."

"I helped out around the house, chased Stefan around. I learned how to cook," he shrugged as if it was nothing.

"You did your part."

"I knew this wasn't the way Mom would have chosen it, but she just got on with it."

Elena nodded. The pride he felt for his mother and the way she'd handled things was obvious when he spoke.

"Eventually, she had enough money for us to move out of Aunt Lydia's and into our own rental. When she finished school, she got a job managing a dance studio in town. She worked nights at the café, and days at the dance studio, and after five years or working two jobs, she had enough for a deposit on a house."

"Wow, that's really incredible, Damon."

"I was eighteen when I met Lucy. She started going to the dance studio Mom worked at."

Elena nodded. He already had her undivided attention, but if possible she was listening even more closely now.

"She was the same age as me. I thought we were just having fun at first, but a few dates turned into a few more dates, and the next thing I knew I was in a relationship."

He turned to face her and gave her a self deprecating smile. "It was different, but it wasn't all bad. To start off with."

"What happened?"

"We were using condoms. Onetime one broke."

Elena tried not to gasp.

"It was only the one time unprotected, but four weeks later, a test confirmed she was pregnant."

"You were just eighteen?"

Damon nodded. "As if that wasn't a big enough shock at the time, Dad turned up on the doorstep about two weeks later."

It would have felt like his whole life was spinning out of control at once. "Completely out of the blue?"

"Totally unexpected. I didn't want Mom to let him into the house, but she insisted everybody deserved a second chance. She thought Dad had changed in the time he'd been away."

"He just moved back in?" Elena asked.

"Like he'd never even left. For the first few weeks everything was fine," Damon continued. "Lucy decided she wanted to have the baby, and Mom was glowing because Dad was back."

"She was happy," Elena stated.

"Over the moon, if you can believe."

"And you were…?"

"I was completely freaking out," Damon told her. "I was eighteen. I had no real money other than what I was making working at the hardware store at the time. I'd grown up hearing all this stuff about Salvatore men. I didn't want Lucy to have that baby."

Between what had happened with his own father, and what his paternal side of the family had been telling him since he'd been a young child, she could only imagine what he was thinking about everything.

"What happened after those first few weeks?" she asked him.

"One night I came home, and Dad was still out. I knew something was wrong, even though Mom insisted everything was fine. I walked straight out of the house to look for him."

"Where did you find him?" Elena was dreading the answer already.

"In the first place I looked – the bar. He was hitting on one of the girls in there. I went straight home and told Mom what I'd seen."

"She didn't believe you?" she guessed, judging by the look on his face.

"She didn't believe it was anything she needed to worry about."

Elena shook her head. "That would have been frustrating."

He must have thought history was repeating itself all over again.

"I thought she was being so stupid," he told her, and she could hear the anger in his voice. "After everything she'd worked towards, I couldn't understand why she wouldn't kick him out."

"Did you ever ask her?"

"She told me she loved him. It was like that explained everything. Dad was still the same sack of shit he'd always been, and I knew he wouldn't change. I begged Lucy not to have the baby, after that. I didn't want that child to grow up and experience what I had. Lucy outright refused to have a termination. I should have handled things differently, but at the time…I was just so angry. I couldn't think straight."

Elena could also see he hadn't just been angry. He had been scared; petrified even, of becoming his father all over again, of inflicting the messed up youth he'd experienced on another child, of Lucy winding up just like his mother.

"I started drinking a lot."

She braced herself. Had he hit Lucy? When she'd been pregnant? Anger, alcohol and frustration were a bad combination for anyone. Her face must have reflected where her thoughts were headed.

"I never hit her, but I may as well have. I was what some might call verbally abusive, and I started sleeping around. I wasn't subtle about it either. I flaunted a parade of women in her face."

Elena ached inside for both Damon and Lucy. They'd both been so young, and neither of them had had any idea how to handle the situation or each other.

"The more I hurt her, the more convinced I became that I was just like my dad; that I was just behaving normally. My family had predicted it after all. It was who I was."

She wondered if Damon's family had any idea just how effectively they'd destroyed his self-image.

"Did it go on like that for long?" she asked gently, when he stopped talking.

"Long enough. She was about fifteen weeks when she miscarried." He laughed bitterly. "I was in bed with one of her friends at the time. When I got to Lucy in the hospital, she was heavily sedated, but once she got home, she said it was my fault she'd miscarried. She called me a murderer."

"Oh, Damon."

Elena moved closer to him, and took his hand. His eyes never left the fireplace. What a tragedy, Elena thought. She could almost feel the guilt he'd experienced. At fifteen weeks, there was no telling what the cause of the miscarriage might have been, but both Lucy and Damon had placed the blame on him.

"She slit her wrists a week later. I found her on the kitchen floor of her house, bleeding out. I thought she was dead. I spent the entire ambulance trip to the hospital thinking I'd killed her as well."

The look on his face was pure anguish.

"God, Damon. I'm so sorry."

"Once the doctors told me she would survive, I left her with her mother and friends and got the hell out of there."

"Where did you go?"

"I went home, and got into a huge fight with Dad. Lucy's mother had called when I was on the way, and told them _everything_. Dad called me a royal fuck-up, and I told him if he wanted to see a fuck-up he should look in the mirror. He tried to kick me out of the house."

"Your mom wouldn't let him?"

"She was upset about Lucy, but no, she didn't want me to leave. She told Dad that it was too late to come home and be a father, when he'd been gone so long, but I wanted to leave anyway. I had my bag packed within an hour, and I drove to Chicago."

"Did you ever speak to Lucy again?" she asked somewhat hesitantly, wanting to know the end of the story.

"I called her six months later, but Alice answered the phone."

"The friend of Lucy's you met on tour?"

"The one and only. She told me never to call her again."

She nodded, thinking he had been happy enough with that answer.

"So, what did you end up doing in Chicago?"

"I took a job selling cars, would you believe? Turns out I was just as good as Dad at selling bullshit."

Damon remembered the haze of booze, sex and experimentation that had been his time in Chicago. He'd actually started writing his first book there. At the time it was meant to be like a warning for women, but when it had come to publishing the book, the marketing team had thought an egotistical asshole would be a much better angle for selling books. By the time it had come to that, he hadn't cared; he'd just needed the money.

"Why did you come back to Mystic Falls?" she asked him.

"Mom called me one day, and told me Dad had been in a car accident. Twelve hours later, Stefan called me and said Dad had died from heart failure."

At no time had Elena realized that Damon's dad was actually dead.

"I didn't realize…"

Damon nodded, and continued. "I didn't want to come home, but Stefan told me Mom was a mess, and she wanted me there." He shrugged his shoulders. "I hadn't really made any permanent ties in Chicago. I quit my job, and came back the day of the funeral."

"Anita and Stefan must have been happy to have you back."

"They were too busy sorting out the gigantic mess that Dad had left behind." He shook his head. "My uncle, my grandfather, and even my great grandfather all have their own stories to tell, but Dad, he was…"

Damon had no words for what his dad was. Just thinking about him, made him want to punch something very hard.

"Dad had a gambling problem. Stefan said it started while I was away, but there's no way that's the truth. I think he was well on the downward spiral before he came back."

"Do you think it was the reason he came back?" Elena asked.

"Mom was nothing but a meal ticket and a way to feed his addiction. He was a clever son of a bitch to hide it so well. He talked Mom into remortgaging the house, to cover the debts he owed."

"She didn't," Elena said. "Not after all that hard work."

"Oh, she did. Of course, at the time she didn't know that he'd been stealing petty-cash from the dance studio where she'd been working."

Elena shook her head. "That's-"

"Bad, but it's not the end of it. The whole time he'd been back, Mom had kept a separate bank account. She called it her retirement fund. She was so proud," he told her, "to go from being dependent on a man, to saving for her future. It was a huge accomplishment for her."

Elena was just waiting for what he was going to say next.

"The day Dad had his accident, he'd found where she kept her keycode. He'd withdrawn as much money as he could from the machine in town, and taken off. Between that and the stealing from her work…Mom was a mess."

"I can imagine," Elena said quietly.

"The day he took the money, was the day the day the police had started asking questions at the dance studio. He had no intention of coming back here, Elena. He had the car accident as he was speeding away with part of Mom's retirement fund in his back pocket. Mom had reached her limit for usefulness."

"I'm so sorry. For all of you."

It was a tough lesson to have to learn twice, and something Stefan had said from their date came back to her.

"_Damon was right in the end, but by the time Mom and I realized it was too late. I don't think Damon ever really forgave either of us for giving Dad another chance."_

"You're sorry. Jesus, have you not heard a word I've said?"

She was taken aback by how furious he sounded. "I've heard everything you've just said."

"Then by now, and after meeting my family, you realize that Salvatore men are everything that you should stay away from."

His face was taut, and she could hear the frustration in his voice. "What you've told me doesn't change the way I feel about you, or what I think about you."

"How can it not?" he asked her, staring at her. "It should change everything, Elena. What I did to Lucy; what Dad did to Mom, how can you not think less of me?"

"You've made some bad choices," Elena started.

"Bad choices," he repeated, almost looking disgusted by her analogy.

"Yes, bad choices. It's not who you are now. You can't let those things define you."

"I don't know who I am because I haven't had a relationship since then. I don't know if I'd do it again."

"Would you do that to me?"

"I don't want to think so, but-"

They turned to face each other properly now. "Look at the fact that you've done everything you possibly can to protect me from yourself. You could have taken advantage of me so many times, but you never did."

"You could have been, and still could be, in a lot of trouble because of me."

"It's my life, Damon. Only I can take responsibility for what I choose. You don't get to take that on."

He was shaking his head as if he disagreed, but couldn't quite work out how to make her see his point.

"Is that everything?" she asked him. "I mean about Lucy, and your father?"

"That's everything that I can think of right now."

"Then you've given me all the information. What I do with that is up to me."

"And you still want this? You still want to try this relationship thing?"

"Yes," she breathed. "Of course."

He nodded, as if it say, 'okay then'. "There's one more thing I have to tell you."

"What's that?" she asked, holding her breath, because if anything he actually looked nervous, which in turn made her feel nervous. Most of the paper had burnt quickly, and the remaining bits of paper were glowing eerily.

"I don't want children, Elena. Or marriage. Ever. It's just not on the cards for me."

Under the circumstances she could understand that completely, but that didn't make it any easier to hear. She wanted those things, and while it was far too early in their relationship to be thinking about that, she could understand why he'd felt the need to state that now. Even looking at the tightness in his face, and his posture, she could see this was something he meant with every part of his being. It wasn't up for her to negotiate, or talk him out of.

She couldn't help but feel he was robbing himself of something that he would excel at, given the chance. Becoming a father would go a long way to repairing the damage his own father had done. He'd make a good father. She knew that instinctively. When she'd seen him with Joey earlier, she'd witnessed a softness to him that she'd never seen before. However, he didn't think he was capable of escaping the pattern the men in his family had set before him.

He'd learned from his mistakes, but he couldn't see that. The fact that he regretted them, and felt bad about them; and the fact that even now he was trying to do things differently with her proved that. But she couldn't, after everything he'd just said to her, tell him he was wrong. He'd suffered through his own childhood, and he'd suffered through inflicting pain upon others. He was quite clearly putting the boundary down and saying no more. It would be selfish of her to push the issue because she wanted it.

So now she could either continue dating him, knowing that this relationship would have a time limit on it. Marriage and children were not something she was willing to compromise on; they were her future. Or she could simply end things between them now.

Looking at his face it was obvious what he was expecting her to do, but she was very much in love with the man in front of her. She'd done everything she could to stay away from him, but it hadn't been enough. The pull between them was too strong, and they weren't close to done yet.

"Children and marriage are something I want," Elena told him.

He nodded. "What does that mean for us?"

"I'm not ready to end this."

"I'm not ready for that either, but you have to understand I'm not going to change my mind, Elena."

God help her if she ended up pregnant. "I do understand that, Damon, and I don't expect you to."

"We'll never really have a future together."

He was right. Their relationship would never really move past where it was now, with his no kids, no marriage rules, but she wouldn't expect anything different now. There was a chance he would change his mind, despite what he said now, but she couldn't count on that.

"Then let's not think about the future. Right now, in this moment, I want to be in a relationship with you."

"You really think it's that simple?"

"I do. We're two consenting adults. I don't see why we can't keep doing this until one of us decides it's not working anymore."

How could she possibly want to be with him, Damon wondered, after everything he'd just told her? He didn't understand it at all. She should be running out the door of this place where dreams came to die, not trying to convince him she wanted him to stick around.

"What else would you suggest?" she asked him, moving right next to him, and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I don't know," he said to her, rubbing his chin over the top of her head.

He'd given her all the facts. He'd warned her. If this was what she wanted then what else could he do? He'd hoped that this place in his past would show her what she could expect if she stayed with him, but it didn't seem to have made any difference at all.

She put her hand on the side of he looked at her. Her eyes were filled with a tenderness that was misplaced. No-one should be able to look at him like that, after what he'd done. She moved onto her knees, leaned forward and kissed him softly, before pulling away and leaning her head on his shoulder for a moment.

"I love you," she whispered. "Can we go home now?"

* * *

He'd actually planned on taking a drive out to his favorite lookout, but instead he took her back to her place and headed home. For some reason he had a burning need to write after all the emotions that had been stirred up today. Elena had been disappointed he'd left so quickly, but when he'd mentioned he wanted to write, she'd looked downright pleased. He bought a burger, from his favorite burger joint, on the way home, and walked in the door with the intention of eating next to his typewriter. The sound of someone clearing their throat, however, had him stopping in his tracks.

"Very brave of you to come here," he said, upon finding Katherine sitting on his couch.

"Did you really think you'd seen the last of me? I told you, you would regret it, Damon."

"What do you want?"

After a day spent divulging his personal shames, and a family get together, he was spent.

"I need your help."

"Too bad. We're not together anymore."

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but I have something I think you should see."

When she took a DVD out of her bag, he prayed it wasn't what he thought it was.

"Put it on," she said to him.

He didn't want to, but he had to see what was on it. He snatched the disk out of her hand, and put in the player, turning on the TV at the same time. All the blood left his face as he stared at the picture on the screen. It was footage from the first hotel stop on his book tour. It had been taken in the elevator, on the first night. While no-one would be able to see what he had been doing under Elena's skirt, his arm was quite clearly around her, and he was kissing her neck.

"As you can see," Katherine started, "I'm holding the winning hand."

He turned on her. She was the most manipulative, self-serving, woman he'd ever known. He would rather do anything else but help her, but she had the leverage she'd been looking for. There was nothing he wouldn't do to make sure Elena never had to see that.

"What is it Katherine? What do you need my help for?"

* * *

A/N: Two more chapters and an epilogue to go. Thank you to all my anonymous reviewers who I can't thank personally. Some more information about Kat will come out next chapter, for the reviewer who asked for it.

I know you were all hungry to hear about Lucy. Thanks for your patience, and as always, thanks for reading and please review.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Thank you so much for your patience over my two week updating hiatus. S&SM updates will be back weekly on Thursday's from here on out. One more chapter after this one, and then an epilogue.

Because the last chapter was angsty, and the next one will be quite angsty too, I've tried to keep this as light as I can, but considering the content, it's certainly not the lightest or fluffiest chapter I've ever written. It's also the longest :/

* * *

**Chapter 20**

"You want me to break into Elijah's computer at Elena's farewell lunch on Friday, and remove what exactly?" Damon asked Katherine.

"Remove photos, and anything else you can find of me on there."

"Why me?"

"I have no-one else, Damon. And I know you'd never risk Elena finding out. I'm sure you're aware that what's on this disk could still cause many problems for her."

"You're a real piece of work."

"I know. You used to like that about me."

"No, I just used to look past that."

"Your mistake, not mine."

"You're aware what you're asking me to do is illegal?"

"Again, your problem, not mine."

She had no compunction about using people to get what she needed.

"How am I supposed to get into his office unseen?"

"Simple. Everyone from the top floor will be at the lunch. You'll already be there, because you're her client. You'll just go when I give you the signal."

"And you're going to distract Elijah?"

"Yes. You'll need to stay clear of the cameras. I'll give you a map."

"What about passwords, and how will I know which files to look for."

"Everything you need is in a file named Klaus."

"Klaus?"

"It's the name of his cat."

Damon frowned as he imagined a picture of Elijah as Dr Claw from _Inspector Gadget_, with an evil cat named Klaus by his side.

"What about passwords?"

"You'll have to figure that out yourself?"

"You're asking me to do Mission Impossible here."

"Do I need to say it again?"

"No, I heard you the first time. My problem, blah, blah, blah. Only it's not just my problem is it? If I don't get this, Elijah will still have whatever he has on you."

"Wrong. If you don't come through, Damon, I'll show this disk to Elijah, and it'll be Elena he's after."

"It'll be too late then. She'll already be finished there."

"All he has to do is spread the word, and her name is dirt."

"Are we done here?"

"I'll bring you a map of the building on Wednesday."

"Goody. Can't wait."

"It was always supposed to be like this, Damon. You're the one who messed up and fell in love."

"Yes, that's the part of this that's messed up."

"When you said you wanted to get back together, I thought it was because you'd realized we were the same, and that we're perfect together."

The last time she'd told him they were the same, he'd agreed with her, but this time, he felt like she might just be wrong. He already knew why. It wasn't that he'd undergone a personality change; no it was because Elena believed he was different. He loved her and respected her so much, that he was starting to question whether he could really be that bad, if she loved him.

She was like a light in his life, illuminating the way for him to realize who he was exactly. She was the person he cared about the most and the fact that she'd given him someone to care about other than himself, had turned his whole world upside down in the best possible way. Now he just had to take care of this Katherine/Elijah situation and he was going to enjoy having her in his life for as long as it lasted.

Katherine simply raised an eyebrow at his silence. "You really love her?"

"I do."

"I don't know if I could ever care about someone the way you care about her."

"You never know until it happens."

"For what it's worth, I'm kind of glad you're happy."

Damon smiled, and they had a moment.

"Now get me my photos, and I'll be even happier."

And just like that it was broken.

"Goodbye Katherine."

"I'm already leaving."

As he watched Katherine walk away, Damon had an idea. Maybe, just maybe, he could turn this into a glass half full situation. He picked up his mobile phone and dialed Rose's number.

* * *

"No way." Rose said to him, on Monday morning. "It's illegal, and-"

"And I'm not asking you to do anything, except provide me with some information."

"You're willing to risk everything for Elena?"

"I told you Katherine has us on disk. If I can't pull this off, Elena's name will be dirt, she'll be out of publicity permanently."

"Very selfless," Rose murmured. "What did you ever see in Katherine?"

"I thought we were soul mates," he confided.

"You're kidding," Rose said to him.

"I mean, I thought we were the same. And I thought she was the one person I would have a chance of making a relationship work with."

"You were wrong."

"I know."

"No, I mean. You're nothing like her."

"She destroys lives, and if I can't fix this, I'll have destroyed Elena's."

"You don't honestly believe that, do you? Imagine if Katherine had asked someone else to seduce Elena."

"She would have resisted, maybe. I don't know."

"Damon, Elena loves you."

"I know."

"So, it takes two to tango. She's made the decisions that led her here, and I don't think she'd ever regret them."

"Maybe not, but I would."

"You're undermining what the two of you have."

"How?"

"When love is real; when love is right, Damon, you can't walk away. You can't, as much as you want to. Elena couldn't walk away from you, and you couldn't walk away from her. Stop fighting it, accept it and work with it. Stop trying to diminish what you have, and stop, for the love of God, blaming yourself."

"What's that? Pop psychology 101?"

"I know love when I see it. If anything I envy you. I loved Trevor, and I risked everything but he never loved me the way I loved him. He was in love with Katherine."

"I'm sorry."

"Not as sorry as I was."

"Which brings us back to my question. What can you tell me about the information you had access to before you left Mystic Falls PR."

Rose told him about the file she'd seen, before pausing. "Actually, I can do you one better."

"What's that?"

"I have a friend who can get through any firewall, access code, and password search."

"A hacker?" Damon asked.

"He owes me one. He can go with you."

"How am I going to get him into the building?"

"There's a back entrance, and I'm going to help."

"You were just saying how dangerous this is, and now you want to get involved."

"I've been afraid of Elijah for too long, and your stupidity is contagious."

"You know the risks," Damon said to her with a shrug.

"If we can pull this off I think we can take down Elijah for good. Besides, that file won't be so easy to access this time. If the two of us go in knowing what we're looking for, we'll be faster."

"Somehow I feel this is all going very _Ocean's Eleven._"

"It will just be the three of us."

"Okay then."

"I'll talk to Slater, and I'll get back to you."

* * *

Elena was worried. The last time she'd seen Damon was on Sunday after he'd told her about Lucy and introduced her to his mom. She thought things had gone okay, but he'd been giving her the brush off ever since then and she had no idea why. He kept telling her he was working on his novel, but she knew it was more than that. Every time they spoke on the phone, he was distant and vague, and she had no idea what to do.

It seemed fitting that she should get a call from RCW two days before she was due to leave Mystic Falls PR, and end her stint as Damon's publicist. The publicity that had been generated from his television appearances and book tour had the radio station talking about Damon trialling a thirty minutes segment every Friday. If the segment became popular enough, they wouldn't hesitate to extend it. She knew Damon would be thrilled – if he'd pick up his phone.

Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to see him, she finished work on Wednesday, and drove to his house.

"Elena," he said, clearly surprised to see her. "What are you doing here?"

He looked happy to see her for all of about a second, before his expression became masked. Elena realized he was holding the door half closed. She remembered how he had held the door in the same way to keep her hidden when Katherine had made her surprise visit on tour. She quickly dismissed the thought he had another woman with him. She trusted him, but he was hiding something.

"I have some good news. Actually, it's great news. I even brought champagne." She held up the bottle she'd purchased on the way over. "Can I come in?"

Damon glanced behind him, before looking back at her with a pained expression on his face. "This really isn't a good time."

"Oh."

Something was clearly going on in the house he didn't want to see. What could be so bad that he didn't want her to see it? She wanted nothing more than to barge in and find out what the hell was going on, but instead she handed him the champagne.

"RCW want you to do a ten minute segment for them every Friday. I've set up a meeting for you for next week, but I'll give you the details when you're not…busy."

She turned around and walked away.

"Elena," he called out, after her. She turned back to look at him. "I'll call you later."

She nodded, and turned around again. It was as she moved past a window she caught a flash of a familiar face. Elena stopped in front on the window. She was sure it was Katherine. Just what the hell was going on?

She wouldn't think the worst; she wouldn't, she tried to convince herself. Everyone in his life had assumed the worst of him and that was exactly what had caused half of his relationship problems in the first place. It wasn't like Katherine had been naked. She was just there. Elena's mind whirled with every possibility, of why Katherine would be there, as she got into her car and drove off.

Damon cursed at everything. Of all the times for Elena to turn up, she'd had to come by when Katherine had come around with the maps of Mystic Falls PR, and he was sorting out some of the last minute details with her. Right now, he didn't know how to be around Elena and not tell her what was going on. He didn't want to lie to her, but she would most likely try and talk him out of doing this thing for her.

He had been avoiding her calls, and making excuses not to see her; telling her he was working on his book. He missed her like crazy, but until this week was over, he couldn't pretend to focus on anything other than getting through Friday. He hadn't told Katherine about Rose and Slater, because he didn't want her to know. If he had his way, he'd have everything on Katherine, and Elijah, and neither of them would be able to threaten Elena ever again.

* * *

Friday morning went by in a blur for Elena, but then Thursday had been a blur too. Damon had called her on Wednesday night as he'd promised, but he'd sounded so distracted that Elena hadn't been able to help pushing for more information about why he wasn't coming around. Again he'd told her he was busy writing, and then got off the phone very quickly.

"Elena, everyone's waiting for you in the conference room," Caroline told her.

"Thanks. Is he here?"

Caroline nodded. "One of the first to arrive."

Elena made her way to the conference room, thinking that it would be her last trip there. The moment she walked into the room, she heard a champagne cork pop, and Elijah cleared his throat. The conference room was at full capacity, but everyone quietened immediately. Elena's eyes found Damon in the throng of people, but his look gave nothing away, and Elena felt everything inside her go cold. Had things finished between them without her even realizing it? Is that what she was missing? She made her way to the front of the room, to stand beside Elijah, and he smiled at her softly.

"It is rare that Mystic Falls PR has ever seen a more tenacious and dedicated worker than you Elena Gilbert."

Elena smiled politely, and tried not to think about her relationship ending already.

"It is with great regret that we are seeing you leave us, and while we wish you the best for the future, I hope you know you will be missed. You'll always have a job here if you want one. If you will all raise your glasses, and join me in wishing Elena good luck."

A glass was thrust into Elena's hand by someone on her right, but Elena merely smiled modestly at everyone without drinking. She'd heard it was bad luck, to drink when she was the one being toasted.

"Lunch has been served by the Piping Hot Cooking Crew. Elena we hope you enjoy your final hours at Mystic Falls PR."

Elena was silently amused by the fact that Elijah was promoting and publicizing even at a simple farewell lunch. People went in all directions and Elena was greeted by colleague after colleague, telling her how much they would miss her. It would have been heart-warming, and a little sad had she been able to give the affair the proper concentration it deserved. Instead she found herself trying to find Damon in the room full of people, only to come up empty. She came across Caroline piling a plate with chicken and mashed potato.

"Have you seen Damon?" she asked her.

"He left about ten minutes ago," Caroline told her apologetically.

"Oh."

"He left with Katherine," Caroline added hesitantly.

At that moment Katherine actually walked back into the room, but Damon was not with her. Before she thought better of it, Elena walked up to the other woman.

"Have you seen Damon?"

"Yes."

"Where is he?"

"He went home," Katherine told her. "He said to give you his regards, and like Elijah, wishes you the best for your future."

Katherine picked up a glass of champagne and dared Elena to ask for more information. After disputing she was any more than his publicist, Elena couldn't really say anymore. Katherine raised an eyebrow at her now.

"Did you have anything else to ask me?"

"No," Elena told her.

"Well, enjoy your lunch, Elena," Katherine told her, before walking off to speak with Elijah.

Elena looked around the crowded room. This was a luncheon in her honor. If she left the room, people would notice. She was stuck here until it was over, and she would spend the next however long waiting for it to finish, so she could find out if her relationship was finished. She needed to track Damon down and make him talk, because she couldn't do this anymore. She would become a nervous wreck.

* * *

"This is Slater," Rose told Damon.

The two men acknowledged each other with little more than a nod. This was a matter of get in, get out, as quickly as possible.

Damon had only been to Elijah's office once, but he remembered the way. He had Katherine's map in his hand, with every camera spot marked. True to Katherine's word, the entire top floor was deserted, but that didn't mean Damon wanted to stay any longer than needed. If they got caught, they needed to have their get out of jail free card in their hands – dirt on Elijah.

"Okay," Slater said, sitting down at Elijah's desk, once they'd made it.

Damon watched Rose pull up the corner of the carpet and pull out a key, which she then used to unlock one of the five sets of filing cabinets in the room. She quickly searched through the draw and pulled out something that looked like bank statements.

"What am I looking for first?" Slater asked.

Damon and Rose looked at each other.

"Come on, people. I need answers. Now."

"You first,' Damon said to Rose.

Rose went to stand by Slater's shoulder, with her bank records.

"It's a file with the initials, ojp at the end."

Damon went to stand beside the two of them, so Rose and Damon were each looking over Slater's shoulders. Damon knew his way around a computer, but he had no idea what the hell Slater was doing. The man's fingers clacked across the keyboard, as lines of data appeared on the screen. After what felt like forever, but was probably only three or so minutes, Slater made a noise of triumph.

"Found it."

"Open it," Rose said to him.

Slater opened the folder as requested, and Damon could see pictures of two men pop up on the screen. One was smiling with his arm around the shoulders of a little blonde girl, and the other was just looking at the camera. There was something going on in the background, but he couldn't make it out at that moment. Damon had no idea how _this_ was going to save them, or how it would threaten Elijah.

"Is that it?" Damon asked.

"That's it," Rose said with a smile. She turned to Damon. "I don't have time to explain right now, but trust me we've just hit the big time."

Damon hoped she was right as Slater downloaded the information onto the storage device he had taken in there.

"Can you delete it, Slater?" Rose asked.

"Done, but there's no guarantee he doesn't have it backed up. Next," Slater said, his fingers still flying along the keys. "What's next, Damon?"

"Klaus. We need to look for a file named Klaus."

"Here it is," Slater told them straight away.

"That was fast," Rose said.

"It wasn't hidden, but something isn't right with it."

Slater opened the folder.

"That's what we want," Damon said to Slater, as photos of Katherine flashed up on the screen. They were nude photos, but Damon was again surprised that there was nothing particularly out of the ordinary about any of them. They were mildly suggestive, but that was all. This was what had been keeping Katherine bound to Elijah?

Slater took out a different storage device, and copied the file across.

"Shit," Slater said, after he pressed the delete key.

"What?" both Rose and Damon asked together.

Damon watched the computer screen go black, and a large green timer start counting down from five minutes.

"We need to get out of here now."

"Do we have the file?" Damon asked.

"Yeah we have it, but we also have the sickest virus I've ever seen. This file will infect anything we try and run it on."

"What do we do now?" Damon asked.

"Get the hell out of here," Slater told them. "I imagine Elijah has already received an alert about someone trying to break into his computer. We have to go."

Slater shoved his equipment into his pocket and the three of them left in a hurry, doing their best to dodge the cameras by memory rather than reading the map. Damon sincerely hoped he wasn't going to jail, moreover, he hoped that whatever they had would be enough to keep Elena out of trouble. Sure she'd said she'd take another job; a job that wasn't in PR, but he hoped the risk had payed off and there would be no need for her to do that.

They made it out the door, without anyone following them. Damon drove back to his house, while Rose and Slater followed him. When they reached his place, they looked at the first file they'd downloaded from Elijah's computer.

"So what is this?" Damon asked, when the pictures of the men flashed up on the screen in a slide show. "Who are they?"

"That is Bertie Grossman and that is Daniel Hargraves."

"And they are?"

"They are the owners of the next two biggest publicity companies in the state."

"Go on," Damon told her.

Rose smiled. "Elijah has been blackmailing them for money and their biggest clients for years now."

She pointed to the photo of Bertie Grossman and the young girl.

"That's Bertie's daughter," Rose said.

"So?"

"So, to the best of Bertie's wife's knowledge, her husband is infertile, and unable to give her the child she wants."

Next she pointed to the photo of Daniel Hargraves. "Slater, can you magnify this one for me, please?"

Slater zoomed in on the background of the photo, and Damon could see a man in bed behind where Daniel was posing.

"He's gay?" Damon asked.

"He's bisexual, but again, his wife has no idea that he's been having an affair with the local priest."

Damon must have still looked doubtful, because Rose patted his arm, and handed him the bank statements. Sure enough, Damon could see thousands of dollars being deposited into Elijah's account every month from a B Grossman and a D Hargraves.

"You're sure about this?" he asked Rose.

"I'm sure."

"Why would Elijah have these lying around?"

"Well technically they were locked away, but he probably thinks he's above ever being caught. He _has_ successfully managed to blackmail anyone who has ever come up against him."

"What will he do when he finds out we have these?"

"He'll let Elena leave, and maybe he'll send our new company a few clients as well."

"It's a crowd in here," Katherine said, sashaying into the study, where the three of them were crammed around Damon's computer.

"I'm changing the locks next week," Damon ground out.

Katherine shrugged. "If you've done what I asked you to do, I won't need to get back in. Where are my photos?"

"Yeah, slight problem with that," Damon said to her.

"Elijah had the file protected," Slater explained to her. "We couldn't erase it, and while we have the file, it will destroy anything we try and upload it on."

"I knew it had a virus, and I knew it was protected, but-"

"You knew?" Damon growled.

"Of course. Why do you think I didn't just do it myself?"

"You should have said something," Damon told her.

"I thought someone else might have better luck."

"You can't seriously be that stupid," Damon said to her.

Damon was left speechless as he watched tears glisten in her eyes. He'd never seen Katherine cry. He couldn't recall a time she'd even come close to crying.

"They were just nude photos, Katherine. What's the deal?"

"My father is Senator Petrova. If those photos ever got out, he'd…he'd kill me."

She was afraid of her father. Damon shook his head. It seemed even Katherine had someone she was afraid of.

"Look," Slater said, taking pity on the woman who was almost crying. "Even if we'd been able to delete it, or copy it, there's no guarantee Elijah doesn't have thousands of photos lying around at home."

"Why did you let him photograph you?" Damon asked her.

"I wanted a promotion. We'd just had sex, and he asked me if he could paint me. I had no idea there was a camera on."

She'd literally been caught like a fly in a web, trying to get to the top.

"Does that mean there is a sex tape floating around of the two of you?"

"No, I found that and destroyed it."

"That you know of," Rose said to her. "So now Elijah has you doing everything he wants you to?"

"He's obsessed with me," Katherine answered grumpily. "He'll never let me go."

"Then why did think you could get Elena to step in for you?" Damon asked.

"Elijah has always had an eye for pretty women. Anna and Lexie will vouch for that," Katherine said to Rose. "He fancied Elena, but he actually respected her work ethic more than her looks. He was going to promote her to my level without sleeping with her."

"Well you messed that right up," Damon said to her.

"I was taking care of myself."

"As you do," Damon said to her

"I thought if I could get Elena to sleep with you then he might see her in the same way he saw me. He asks me to sleep with clients sometimes. Elijah might have let me go, and used Elena instead."

"Did he _ever_ give you any indication he would actually agree to that?" Damon asked.

Katherine was quiet for a moment. "He was all for her sleeping with you because he thought you might extend your contract with Mystic Falls PR. He encouraged me to push it, but he never said he would make her take my place."

"So he knew we were sleeping together?"

"No, but he suspected."

"And he didn't care?"

"Not overly. It was good for the company, he told me. This was despite his strict policies. Elena can do no wrong by that man."

"You lied to me."

"I manipulated the truth."

"You lied, for your own selfish gain, and almost ruined someone else's career."

"I'm not perfect, Damon, and I've never pretended to be."

"Using and manipulating people got you into this mess in the first place. When are you going to learn? Just get out of my house."

"So that's it. After everything we've shared together, you're just going to let me walk away so easily?"

"Playing any more of your sick and twisted games doesn't really appeal to me any longer."

"I know you love Elena, and I know you're still upset about Mason-"

"I couldn't give a flying fuck about Mason Lockwood. The fact that you were using both of us to try and screw over the same girl, while telling me there was no one else just proves what an idiot I was to go back for seconds."

"Yet you did, because we're the same."

"We're not the same at all. Goodbye Katherine."

For a moment Damon thought she was going to throw a tantrum, but there was no flouncing, no swearing, and no throwing of objects. Her exit was rather anti-climactic.

They really were finished this time

"Are we good here?" Damon asked Rose.

"We are. Elena's going to be fine, and our new company might just be fine too."

"Let yourselves out," Damon told them over his shoulder, already moving towards the door.

* * *

It was six o'clock when Elena took her last diploma off the wall in her office, and piled it on top of the rest of her belongings. The box on her desk now contained all her bits and pieces from the time she'd worked here. She was in no rush to leave, strangely. She hadn't organized to meet the girls at Ric's, because Caroline had gone home with plans to spend the night with Stefan, and Bonnie had a case she was working late on. And the person she wanted to share her last day with the most wasn't here.

She could hear no noise coming from her colleagues; no late night chatter, no last minute goodbye wishes, no Friday night drunken giggles. Everyone had gone home to their family, or on a date, or over to Ric's. She sat down in her desk chair for the last time, and pushed away from the desk. Then she spun around, and around, and around in her chair, stopping to face the window which looked over the town. It was dark already, and she noticed his reflection in the window.

She turned around and stood up straight away. When he walked into the room, she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shirt, breathing him in. Five days. Five days she had been waiting to do this.

She looked up at him. "Is everything okay?" she asked him.

"Everything is fine," he told her.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought…I thought maybe we were over."

He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, while looking into her eyes. "Why would you think that?"

"Something was wrong this week, and you wouldn't tell me what it was."

"How did you know something was wrong? I told you I was working on my book."

"But you weren't."

He hesitated for a moment. "No, I wasn't."

"I saw Katherine at your house on Wednesday when I came by."

"You never said anything."

"I hoped you would come to me when you were ready."

"Nothing is going on between us."

"I know," she told him.

"You do?"

"I trust you."

"You shouldn't. After Lucy-"

"You've only ever looked after my best interests, Damon. You won't convince me that I can't trust you."

"You thought we might be over."

"I thought you might have changed your mind about wanting to be in a relationship with me."

He shook his head. "You're a fool. Katherine came to me on Sunday night and asked me to break into Elijah's computer to delete a file of her."

"You didn't," Elena said to him, stepping backwards.

"She had…evidence of you and me."

"Oh, my God."

"It's going to be okay, Elena."

"How can it be okay? You could go to prison."

"I'm not going to prison. We found something."

"We?"

"Rose and I."

"You got the information Rose got fired over?"

Damon nodded. "I love you so much, Elena. You have no idea."

Damon leaned down and pressed his lips to hers and Elena thought he was wrong. She had every idea how much he loved her, considering he'd just risked everything to save her career. She would tell him off - later. Whoever he thought he was, whoever he had been in his past; what he'd done today had been incredibly selfless. Nothing would ever convince her that he was someone she shouldn't be with. If anything, she was thinking about things it was way too early to think about; things he'd made clear he had no desire for. Her heart twisted painfully, but she focused on the now.

Damon took what he had been craving and missing for the last few days, and she kissed him back as if she were just as hungry for him. He'd never expected someone could love him with such acceptance. He'd never dreamed someone could love him, knowing his past and everything it encompassed. Rose had been right. It was time to stop fighting this, and her, and give it everything he had.

"Elena?"

"Mmm," she murmured, not wanting to let go of him.

"Have you finished your last day at Mystic Falls PR?"

"Yes," she told him.

He left her to go and close the office door behind him, and on his way back to he started undoing his shirt buttons. Soon, she was following suit, dropping her clothing onto the floor. Once she had removed her panty hose, she was completely naked apart from her short beige skirt. When Damon was back within touching distance Elena expected him to kiss her again, but instead he reached for her and put his hands on her hips, turning her so she was facing away from him.

Elena put her hands on the desk in front of her, and Damon's hands went to her breasts, cupping them in his hands, pinching and teasing and playing with her nipples, until her breasts tingled and tightened and her belly throbbed. Her head went backwards into his chest as one of his hands slid ever so softly along her naked skin and went under her skirt to stroke her hip, and her bottom.

"Spread 'em," he told her. "Elena Gilbert, you've been a bad, bad girl."

When she looked over her shoulder at him, Damon had to bite back the groan on the tip of his tongue. The look of desire on her face had his cock straining even harder against the material of his jeans.

"What have I done?" she asked innocently.

"Slept with a client of the firm," he said, kissing her neck. "Lied to your boss." He kissed her shoulder. "And now you're about to have sex where any of your old colleagues could walk in and catch you."

Elena's heart went crazy when he said the word sex. "I have been bad," she told him.

"I thought I told you to spread them."

"I have. They are," she said breathlessly.

"Wider, Elena,"

He took his foot and moved her foot out as far as it would go. Elena could feel the material of her skirt straining against her thighs and hoped the it wouldn't tear. She couldn't possibly open her legs any wider. His knee was now wedged between her thighs, holding her in position as his hand sought out the place she was burning for him to touch. He groaned loudly into her hair when he felt how dripping wet with need she was.

"God, I missed you," he said to her.

Deciding they would have more time to play when they were at home, Damon turned her back around to face him, and sat her on the desk, before undoing his jeans and shoving them, and his boxers, off his hips.

"Leave it on," he told Elena when she went for the zipper on her skirt off.

He picked her up off the desk, and she gripped his shoulders as she felt herself being lowered onto the length of him. She hissed and dug her fingernails into his shoulders, feeling his length slide straight into her.

As Damon felt her contract around him, her tight wet heat sheathing him for the first time in days, he lost all sense of time and movement. He held her paused, and they kissed, tongue playing with tongue, lips against lips, until Damon thought he would explode from the intensity of it all, without giving either of them what they were really craving.

Elena felt him reach in between their bodies to pay attention to her needy little button at the apex of her thighs. He didn't tease, or take his time. He knew exactly how to get her off, and he did so in record time. Long before the cries of her pleasure had faded after her orgasm, he had her flat on her back on the desk, so he could take her as he needed to.

Damon had both hands under her skirt, holding onto her hips tightly, as he drove in and out of her; his body moving in and out of hers as if she had been made for him. Damon took her with no other intention than finding the release that he knew he would be rewarded with inside her sweet, sweet heat. Their mating was swift and hungry, and after his release was ripped from him, he collapsed onto her, burying his face in the curve of her neck. When he finally looked at her again, his only thought was that he could do this; he could be with her, for the rest of his life.

* * *

A/N: The last chapter was tough to write, and to everyone who reviewed, thanks so much. To everyone who told me Kat was a pain - I know. Thanks for your patience with that storyline.

The next chapter will take us into the future by about six or so months. As always, thanks for taking the time to read, and please review.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Wow. Here we are, the final chapter of S&SM. There will be a brief epilogue to close the story completely, but this is the last chapter. So many of you have taken the time to tell me you have enjoyed the story, and I can't thank you enough for taking the time to read, and share your thoughts.

I have enjoyed writing this, even if it has been extraordinarily challenging in places, and am sad to say goodbye to it. There's a fair bit of info in this chappie. I hope it doesn't take away from the story too much. Thank you for every review, alert, and favorite. They all mean the world to me.

This is set six months after the last chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 21**

"What's next?" Elena asked Damon, while stirring the sauce on the stove.

"Add the cream, and bring to the boil."

Elena turned around to look at him. "Are you sure?"

He walked over to her, and held her new recipe book out in front of her. "Look, right here," he said, tapping the page, "what does it say?"

"Add cream and bring to the boil," she read aloud.

"See."

"You were right," she said, with a smile. "I just want this to be perfect."

"You've had Bonnie and Jeremy over for dinner before. Why is this so important?" Damon asked her with a puzzled expression.

"Because it is," she said to him.

She didn't want to elaborate any more than that. She hadn't told Damon that Bonnie and Jeremy had been trying to conceive for the past three months, and when Bonnie had called to tell her she had news, Elena had guessed she was pregnant. Bonnie wouldn't confirm whether she was over the phone, but Elena was ninety-nine percent sure she had been right. She had invited her brother and sister-in-law over for dinner tonight, and Damon had told her they could host dinner at his place because she didn't have a table big enough for four people.

Elena had thrown herself into preparations for the perfect dinner party as she had needed to something to take her mind off the fact that she herself was two days late. After checking her diary at work on Thursday she had realized she was still waiting for 'aunt flo' to come to town. Two days wasn't very late, admittedly, but Elena was panicking. Damon had said right from the start that fatherhood was not in his future, and in the six months they'd been together, she didn't think he'd changed his mind.

Not that the last six months hadn't been perfect; they had been. They'd been amazing, and wonderful, and more than she'd ever hoped for. The idea that she might be pregnant should be a happy and exciting thought, but instead she was terrified of what it would mean for her, and for him, and for them. She hadn't taken a pregnancy test yet because she simply wasn't ready for the answer. She was living in hope that her period would appear at any time. She tried not to think about what Damon would say if she told him she was pregnant.

Five or so months ago he had started spending time regularly with Joey, his cousin's son, on weekends. Damon had told her that Joey needed at least one Salvatore male to hang-out with, to offset the bitterness that came from the Salvatore women. Elena had thought it was a wonderful idea, and she had even believed it might help him warm up to the idea of fatherhood, but it hadn't changed his opinion at all.

"_Every time I look at Joey, I think that could have been my son or daughter, left alone without a father. I won't put a child through what Joey is going through."_

His comment was something she had tried not to dwell on over the past months. After all, she'd said they would have a relationship while it worked for both of them. In light of Bonnie and Jeremy's news, however, Elena wondered how much longer this relationship could work for them. Even if she wasn't pregnant, she wanted to be eventually. While she was extremely happy for Bonnie and Jeremy, their news was a painful reminder that a child with the man she loved wasn't an option. How long could she continue her relationship with Damon realistically?

"Can you let them in, please," she asked Damon, when a knock on the door sounded.

"Sure," he said to her, giving her a strange look.

Damon couldn't help but feel that something was going on, and Elena was holding out on him. He tried to dismiss the thought as he opened the door to the other couple.

"Hi, Damon," Bonnie said, with a wide smile.

Damon knew his suspicions had been right when Bonnie embraced him in a tight hug. She had warmed up to him significantly after an initial wary period, and he liked her, but normally she didn't…hug.

"Hey, man," Jeremy said, after Bonnie moved away.

Jeremy also gave him a guy hug and was wearing a huge grin on his face. Between the hugging, the smiles, and Elena's desperation to cook the perfect meal, Damon assumed he was the only one here who had no clue what the hell was going on. He found out quickly when they were seated in front of their meals at the dining table.

"Bonnie, would you like some wine?" Elena asked pointedly.

"No, thank you. I won't be having wine any time soon."

"Oh, that's a surprise. Why not?" Elena asked.

"Because….I'm pregnant!"

The next few minutes or so were a blur, as Elena and Bonnie jumped up and down and squealed. There were hugs and kisses all round, and plenty of smiles.

"I can't stop grinning like an idiot," Jeremy told Damon.

"It's an exciting time for both of you," Damon replied.

"In less than eight months I'll be a dad," Jeremy said. "That's crazy. Me, responsible for a baby."

"You'll make a great dad," Bonnie told him softly, sitting down next to him and patting his arm softly.

Bonnie's eyes misted up as she and Jeremy looked at each other, and they shared a private moment. A moment, Damon could see, that had Elena misting up too. She caught him watching her, and gave him a watery smile. He knew his own smile was stiff in return, and as she turned and walked into the kitchen his heart sunk. This – he couldn't give her this. He wouldn't destroy a child's life; a woman's life, the way his father had. He just wouldn't do it, especially to Elena. Elena already knew that, but as she came back out of the kitchen, with a smile that was just a little too big, he wondered what was going through her mind right now.

Bonnie and Jeremy were in a great mood, and at any other time he would have enjoyed their company immensely, but Damon couldn't help feeling that this night, and their announcement, would only highlight the difference between what he wanted in his future – or rather what he _didn't_ want, and what Elena _did_ want. He hadn't told Elena that he couldn't imagine his life without her. Neither of them were willing to compromise on children or marriage, and he knew that.

He'd been so happy these past six months, and the success of his personal life had certainly had an impact on his professional life too. His book was finished and about to be published, and RCW were extending his radio show by and hour and a half every Friday. He was close to having his Mom's house paid off, and his new publicist, at Mystic Falls PR, Oliver Clifton, wasn't too bad either. The middle aged PR rep wasn't as attractive as Elena, but Damon was okay with that.

Damon could have pushed to get out of his contract with Mystic Falls PR, however, Elijah had promised to leave Elena and all four girls alone, if Damon stayed with the company. Elijah had also promised to keep the girl's new company supplied with a steady stream of smaller clients. Knowing Elena was safe, and that her business would be okay, was enough to keep Damon there. Seeing the girl's company taken care of was more important.

The four girls didn't have the big names yet, but Damon was sure they would get them. They were kicking ass. The name of their firm was – REAL PR; R.E.A.L for the letters of their first names, Rose, Elena, Anna and Lexie. In fact they were doing so well, that Caroline had moved over to be an assistant to all four ladies. Despite the amount of work, Caroline insisted she was happy. Damon thought his brother was also partly responsible for keeping a smile on her face as well.

As Damon forced each laugh and smile for their company, he tried not to think about how much Elena, her friends, and her family, had come to mean to him. Tonight could change everything between them, and he didn't like it. He'd never given permission for his world to be flipped upside down. Bonnie and Jeremy's news had to be having an effect on Elena, and he wondered just how much longer she would choose to keep doing this with him.

"So," he said to Elena, as they cleaned the kitchen later that night, "you're going to be an aunt."

"Yes," she said. "It's wonderful news."

"It is," he agreed.

She stopped wiping the counter for a moment and looked at him, and Damon walked over to her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her against him. It felt so good to have her in his arms. He didn't want to give this up. He brushed his lips across hers, and then nuzzled his face in her hair. He felt her tense momentarily, before she softened against him.

"Are you tired?" he murmured against her hair.

She shook her head.

He took her hand. "Come on."

Elena let him lead her upstairs, and she changed into his spare bathrobe as he ran a bath. When she walked into the bathroom, he was already sitting in the bath, filled with water and bubbles. It was evidently hot, judging from the steam rising off the water. The candles were lit, music was playing softly on the stereo, and she could smell the rose essence he'd dropped in the water. She shrugged of the fluffy robe, letting it slide to the floor, not missing the way his eyes devoured her naked body, and stepped into the hot water. She felt her toes tingle with the heat, and the water burn her as she sat down.

Damon watched the flush hit her cheeks. Her hair was piled on top of her head, and she fanned herself as perspiration beaded along her brow. After behaving in front of their company all night, he needed to touch her. At times like this, when he found himself in doubt about how much longer she would be his, his need to possess her was even more intense.

He reached for her, and as his lips melded against hers, he reveled in the feel of her slippery skin against his. They pulled apart and he ran his thumb along her cheekbone, smearing white frothy bubbles over her delicate skin. He tapped her nose, leaving a few bubbles there too.

"I love you," he said to her.

"And I love you," she said to him.

Elena sat back as he began to rub her feet. She closed her eyes and listened to the crackle of the bubbles surrounding them, and the soft music playing on the stereo as she enjoyed his touch. His hands worked along her calves for a while, before moving to her hamstrings, and then the inside of her thighs. She expected him to move his hands higher still, but he took his time. When he did finally run a finger between her legs, her eyes flew open, latching onto his.

His expression was so serious and intense, it was startling. He was watching her so closely that Elena thought he was trying to imprint this moment to memory. She closed her eyes against the thought. Did he have some sixth sense about what was to come? Had he asked the same question that she had, after hearing Bonnie and Jeremy's news? How long could they continue this relationship realistically?

She stopped thinking as he reached forward and pulled her to him, crushing his lips against hers. She hadn't been wrong. There was always an intensity about him in the bedroom, even when he was playful; but this was as intense as their last night together on tour. His lips all but devoured her as they slid along her jaw, and her neck, and his hands were just as frantic. She moved to get closer to him. Her breasts pressed against his chest; the bubbles crackling between them.

She reached out and wrapped her hand around his shaft, stroking him softly. He made a loud sound of approval against her shoulder before he brought her to climax by grazing his thumb softly over her nub, and sliding two fingers in and out of her. The water made it easy for him to lift her onto the tip of his shaft, and her body craved his so desperately that the water provided minimal resistance. Once he was deep inside of her, their movements together were slow, and tender, but no less intense. They came together, and Elena had no idea she'd let tears fall, until he was wiping them from her cheeks.

* * *

After their bath, they lay in bed together facing each other.

"Do you want to tell me why you were crying earlier?"

"Not really."

"You can tell me. You can talk to me about whatever it is."

"I'm late," she said to him.

"For what?"

"I'm late, Damon. As in two days late. As in I might be pregnant."

He stopped rubbing circles on her arm, and sat up in bed. "How? I mean you're on the pill."

She sat up beside him.

"I know. I never missed one, but maybe when I had that virus a few weeks ago, and I was throwing up…I don't know. Maybe that affected it."

The panic and the worry on her face clearly echoed his own panic.

"Come here," he said to her.

They lay back down in the bed, but she was aware that he wasn't asleep. She couldn't sleep either. At some point during the night they slipped away from each other, and she felt him tossing and turning. The last time she looked at his alarm, it was four-thirty in the morning. After that she fell into a deep slumber. When she woke up it was nine-thirty, and the bed was empty. She put the spare bathrobe on, and made her way down stairs.

"Damon," she called out.

She found the house empty, but in the kitchen there was a note.

_Needed to get out of the house. Went for a ride. Call you tonight. D._

"So, I guess we won't be spending Sunday together," Elena said out loud, screwing up the piece of paper and throwing it in the trash.

She packed her things into her overnight bag, locked the door behind her, and got into her car to drive home. Damon had freaked out just like she'd thought he would, her period was still MIA, and she felt like crap. She picked up a pregnancy test on the way home, and tried not to think about the fact that in her ideal relationship both she and her partner would be excited by this, and they would both want to share this moment of truth together.

It would be a lie to say that part of her didn't feel angry that Damon had gone this morning. She knew it was wrong to expect more from him. He'd never been anything but honest and upfront about how he felt regarding fatherhood, but this hadn't been deliberate. She was going through this too. She knew this was the end of the line for them now. She could admit that this morning, even if she hadn't quite admitted it last night. The thought was more than devastating, and more than heart-breaking. It hurt so much she wondered if she would survive it; but if neither of them would compromise then this was really it for them. It didn't matter what the results were.

* * *

At four o'clock Damon was still at the bar. A day of drinking had done nothing to decrease the anxiety and panic he was feeling. He'd had no intention of coming to the bar, but that's where he always ended up. It had been the same after Lucy had fallen pregnant.

"Hi, Handsome," a sugary sweet voice said behind him.

He turned around to find a very pretty blonde in her early twenties eyeballing him like he was a lollipop.

"Can I sit down?" she asked him.

"It's a free country," he told her.

"Buy me a drink," she said softly. "Promise I'll make it worth your while."

He was about to say no, but decided why not? He ignored the phone ringing in his pocket, but pulled it out when he felt a message come through.

_Results are in. If you want to know, you know where to find me._

He put the phone back in his pocket and bought 'Melissa' another drink, and tried not to think about the fact that he was destined to repeat his father's mistakes all over again. An hour later, he and Melissa were still drinking. She was giving him all the signs she was interested, and when she told him she had a hotel room five minutes away, she couldn't have made her intentions any clearer.

He played along with it, however, when she leaned forward and kissed him, he felt nothing but cold disgust with himself and the situation. He felt nothing for the blonde, and he didn't want what she was offering in any way, shape or form. His heart belonged to Elena. That thought didn't make him feel any better, because he didn't have a future with Elena, did he?

He paid his tab, hunted down a cab, and went straight to the woman he hoped would have an answer for him. He banged on the door, tried the door handle, but it was locked. He banged again. Finally the door flew open.

"Damon, what are you doing here? Are you alright?"

"I'm not alright. Elena might be pregnant."

"Come in, and sit down. I'll put the kettle on. You smell like you could use a coffee."

Damon followed his mom into the kitchen, and took a seat at the table. Within minutes he was sitting with coffee, and roast beef, potatoes and gravy.

"Don't fuss," his mom said. "It's just leftovers. Now tell me what's on your mind."

Damon looked at her. How could his mom not know what was on his mind right now?

"First Lucy, and now Elena. I messed up Mom. I keep messing up."

"Damon, what happened with Lucy was over eleven years ago. You were young, and it was a confusing time with your father turning up, and you're hardly the same young man you were back then."

"I'm still a Salvatore. I'm still my father's son."

"Now listen to me," she said walking over and grabbing his chin to make him look at her, making him feel like he was ten, instead of thirty. "I don't want to hear that again."

"You've said it yourself," he said to her accusingly.

"Said what?"

"I'm just like my father."

"Nonsense. At times I've said you have too much charm just like Giuseppe, but I've never said you were just like him."

"What am I going to do?" he asked her. "I can't be a father."

"Why not?"

"I'm not father material."

"You've been spending time with Joey lately, mentoring him, and giving him a father figure to look up to."

"That's different."

"How is it different?"

"He's not mine."

"That makes no difference. Giuseppe never would have done that."

"I cheated on Elena," he said to her.

She sat down opposite him. "Tell me what happened."

"I've been at the bar all day, just like Dad would have been. After Elena told me she might be pregnant, I couldn't think straight. I went to Ric's. I met this girl named Melissa. I bought her a few drinks."

"You had sex with her?"

"No," Damon said.

"You kissed her?"

"She kissed me, and I kissed her back."

"So you bought this girl a few drinks, and shared a kiss, and now you feel bad about it?"

"Yes, I feel bad about it."

"Your father never felt bad about it, Damon."

"Never?"

"No, he never felt remorse for any of the things he did."

"How can you sit there and so calmly talk about Dad, after everything he did to you."

"Your father made a lot of bad choices, and I made my share of bad choices too, but he gave me two wonderful sons, and I believe both of you have already learned from his mistakes."

"How can you be so sure? How can I be sure? How can Elena ever be sure?"

"There are no guarantees in life, Damon, but understanding life is about choices will help. There is always a choice. You love Elena, don't you?"

"You know I do."

"Every day you're with her, you choose to do the right thing by her. Every day, you choose to stay with her, and love her, and treat her right."

"You make it sound so easy."

"Love is never easy. When someone affects you so much that you can't imagine your life without them it is too powerful to ever be easy."

"How can I ask Elena to take such a chance on me?"

"What have I just been saying? Elena has to make her own choices, and you can't take that away from her. If she wants to take that chance on you, and you on her, then both of you are lucky. And for the record, I think you would make a wonderful father."

"You're my mother. You have to say that."

"I have to say no such thing. Look at the responsibility you've taken on without being asked; too much responsibility. When you were younger you took care of Stefan, and when I was going to lose my house you've paid for almost all of it, even though you were angry at me for letting your father back into our lives. I'll pay every cent back."

"You don't need to, Mom," he told her.

"I don't know what I would have done without your help, Son. You take care of Joey, and now you are trying to take care of Elena. We all make mistakes, and as a father – as a husband, you will make mistakes, but acknowledging them, and learning from them, is more important than not making them in the first place. Your father never did that. He never changed, and he never grew up. Someone has to break the cycle."

Damon shook his head. "I thought that was Stefan's job."

"Don't underestimate yourself. Watching you grow into the man you are has been worth the heartache."

"I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything to me. It's Elena you need to talk to."

"I should go."

"Take my keys. Bring the car back tomorrow."

"Thanks Mom," he said, standing up and leaning over her to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"You didn't touch your roast."

"I have to see her."

"Go. Give Elena my love."

"I will," he called, as he walked out the door.

On the drive over to Elena's apartment, parts of the conversation with his mother replayed in his head creating an entirely different conversation.

"…_you're hardly the same young man you were back then."_

"_I'm just like my father."_

"_Your father never changed, and he never grew up. He never felt remorse for any of the things he did."_

"_I can't be a father."_

"_Why not? I think you would make a wonderful father."_

"_How can Elena ever be sure?"_

"_Elena has to make her own choices. If she wants to take a chance on you, and you want to take a chance on her, then both of you are lucky. Every day, you choose to stay with her, and love her, and treat her right."_

"_I'm not father material."_

"_You take care of Joey, and now you are trying to take care of Elena. As a father and as a husband, you will make mistakes, but acknowledging them, and learning from them, is more important than not making them in the first place. Someone has to break the cycle."_

Someone had to break the cycle. According to his mother, he already had. He was already different. He felt remorse for hurting people. He tried to take care of Elena. He wanted to help Joey. Everybody made mistakes. He just had to make sure he learned from his. He loved Elena. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. If she was willing to try this; if she was willing to take a chance on him, knowing as much as she did, then why wasn't he willing to take a chance on himself?

Fatherhood was something that he'd never thought he wanted, but if he considered the idea he might be different to his father, how did he feel about being a father? The idea was still terrifying, but less so than it had been earlier today. Joey seemed to get a lot out of their time together. Moreover, Damon enjoyed spending time with the boy. As he thought about what it would be like to kick the soccer ball about with his own son or daughter, he felt his chest expand and grow warm, instead of feeling tight and making him breathless.

He pulled into the lot of her apartment building while imagining his child, and Elena, and their life together. Instead of the future looking bleak and lonely, suddenly it seemed full of possibility. Once he was standing in front of her door, however, he felt wracked by nerves, and panicked. Would she still want to take a chance on him after the way he'd acted today? He knocked on the door.

Elena opened the door without saying anything, and walked back into the apartment. He closed the door behind him.

"Where have you been?" she asked him.

"Ric's."

She nodded as they stood in the kitchen facing each other. "So after a day of drinking you're ready to know?"

"Yes. I'm ready to know now."

"I'm not pregnant. You're not going to be a father."

Damon felt as if he'd been hit between the eyes. He wasn't going to be a father. While the relief was certainly there, he was surprised to find a small amount of something resembling disappointment mixed in with it too.

"You're sure?"

"The test came up negative, and I got my period a few hours ago. I'm sure."

He walked over to her and out his arms around her. She was completely rigid in his arms, and he knew what was coming next.

"I don't want to do this again," she mumbled against his shirt. "This isn't working for me anymore."

He loosened his hold on her, and they looked at each other. He could see the barely contained emotion in her eyes, and struggled to keep his own emotions under control.

"I shouldn't have left you the note this morning. I should have been here with you."

"You needed time and space. I get that, but I want to get married and have children, and you don't. Today should have been exciting, but instead I was freaking out about what it would do to you if I was. I want the person I'm with to be there when I take the test, and share my disappointment or excitement."

"I will be next time," he said to her. "I promise."

She shook her head.

"Listen," he said to her. "I know I said I didn't want marriage or children, but what if I said I was changing my mind?"

"I would ask what had changed your mind."

"I was at Ric's today. I didn't sleep last night, and this morning I felt the same panic and fear that I did when I found out Lucy was pregnant."

She flinched as if he'd hit her.

"I went to Ric's because that was what I used to do when I was freaking out about Lucy. There was this girl there. She wanted me to buy her a drink."

"Did you?"

"I did."

She moved away from him and he let her.

"She kissed me, and I kissed her back for a moment."

Elena gripped the counter behind her so she wouldn't hit him. While she had been alone and worried, he'd been buying drinks for another woman and kissing her.

"I don't want to hear any more."

"I didn't want her, Elena. All I could think about was you, and how much I was going to hurt you, and how much I never wanted to do that. The me from eleven years ago would have gone to bed with her, but the person I am today wasn't interested. I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

"What?"

"Yeah, I do, but I knew that this was the end of the line for us because of how I felt about becoming a father. I went to Mom's tonight and she made me realize a few things."

Elena was listening very intently now.

"I'm not my father," he told her.

"I know that."

"But _I_ didn't know that. Not until today. I've made mistakes; big mistakes, but I've grown from them. I've learned from them."

She nodded.

"I want the chance at a future with you, and I want the chance to be a better father to my children, than my father was to me."

He did, Damon realized. He wanted his children to grow up feeling a lot better about themselves than he had. He wanted to stop the cycle of hate and bitterness from the Salvatore women, but most importantly, he wanted Elena and the future they could have together.

"I know I'm asking you to take a chance on me here, and that has to be your choice, but I love you, Elena. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and even though the idea still terrifies me, I want children in our future too."

He was standing right in front of her. "What do you say?"

Elena took in the serious expression on his face, and knew he meant every word he'd just said to her. He was a different man than the one who she'd met eight or so months ago. The difference was that he was starting to see himself differently. To hear him say he wasn't his father changed everything. He had finally started to listen to the opinions of those who loved him. He was willing to try, and that had been all she needed to hear.

"Yes," she told him. "Yes – to all of the above."

Before she could blink, he had swept her into his arms, and he was kissing her as if she'd just made his every wish come true.

* * *

A/N: I know some of you would have liked to have seen Elena pregnant. What can I say? There will be an epilogue. I hope you liked Mama Salvatore, and Damon's chat. Thanks for reading, and please review.


	22. Epilogue

A/N: I promised a brief epilogue, and so here it is.

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Elena, you need to eat more; keep your strength up. Let me get you another serve," Anita said to her.

Elena shot Damon a look that clearly said 'help me', but he simply smiled and shrugged. Elena glared at him, but Damon knew she didn't really mind. His mother finally had the two daughters-in-law she'd always wanted, and Caroline and Elena had understood that a fussing mother in law was part of the bargain when they married into the family. Or at least Elena had, because he'd warned her. Stefan and Caroline looked on with amusement as Caroline nursed their two month old. Caroline had endured it all while she was pregnant, and now it was Elena's turn.

"I'm already big enough, Anita," Elena told his mother.

"Nonsense. You've hardly put any weight on." His mother turned to him now. "Tell your wife she's too small."

Elena felt like the side of a 'small' house. Her ankles were swollen. Her boobs were huge. Everything felt puffy.

"She's fine, Mom. Stop fussing."

Elena looked at her husband of eight months with relief. He smiled back at her, and Elena wondered if their honeymoon glow would ever wear off. Their two week vacation in Hawaii had been filled with romance, dancing, and an abundance of lovemaking. When they'd first talked about going on honeymoon, Elena had been reluctant to take the time off at work. Things had really taken off at REAL PR, and they had even had to hire new reps. Rose had insisted she take some time out though, and it had been amazing.

There had been at least three days they'd never made it out of bed. The more they'd had of each other, the more they had wanted. Then again that was the way it had always been between them. Nothing had changed in the short time they'd been married. Three weeks after the honeymoon, a pregnancy test had confirmed they'd conceived. When the test came out positive Damon had been nervous, but his excitement and happiness had also been clear, and as promised he'd held her hand and been there to share the excitement. Everything Elena had wished for had come true, and instead of walking around waiting for the bubble to burst, she was cherishing every perfect moment.

It was hard to believe her adoring and attentive husband ever had a doubt about becoming a daddy. He'd thrown himself into painting the nursery in their new house, baby proofing everything, and an endless stream of DIY jobs that Damon had suddenly decided needed to be done as soon as possible. He'd also enjoyed some of the perks of her being pregnant, namely her over-sized breasts and increased sex drive. Even now the way he was looking at her made her body thrum with excitement.

"She needs to eat. A pregnant lady needs her strength," Damon's mother persisted.

Anita had welcomed her into the family with open arms, and these Sunday dinners with Anita, Stefan, Caroline, and now their little girl, Emily had become a tradition over the past year. Elena always looked forward to them, and Anita was an amazing cook. Despite what Anita was telling her, however, she did not need to eat any more. If she had one more bite, she would be rolling away from the table, and in her pregnant state that wouldn't be the best idea. Only two more weeks, she told herself. Her due date was in two weeks time. She tried not to think about how many women went over their due date with their first baby.

"So," Caroline asked, stepping in to distract Anita, "are your bags packed?"

"Yes," Elena told her. "Bags have been packed for two weeks, and are sitting by the door."

"Have you timed the trip to the hospital?" Stefan asked.

"We have," Damon told him.

Damon had timed all five different ways to the hospital to see which way was quicker, and which way had less sets of traffic lights. The car seat had been fitted weeks ago. As far as he knew they were ready. He'd even read the book, _What To Expect When You're Expecting_. That had actually scared him; all that information about what could possibly go wrong during the birth. After that Elena hadn't let him near her stack of books.

"And you have a large pile of towels on hand for when the waters break?" Stefan asked. "You never know when it could happen."

Elena and Caroline laughed at Damon's expression.

"He's kidding," Elena told him, with a smile.

"The membranes only rupture first in fifteen percent of pregnancies," Caroline told him. "Stefan spent the last month chasing me around with towels."

"We had just had our house re-carpeted," Stefan said defensively. "In the movies the waters break and there's a big mess."

"In the movies," Caroline said with an eye roll, while burping Emily over her shoulder

"I didn't know that," Stefan said.

"I couldn't even get in the car without having to sit on a towel."

Elena and Damon were both laughing now and Stefan mock-glared at Caroline. "Did you have to tell them that?"

"Oh, it's funny," Caroline told him. "You know I love you."

Stefan gave her a kiss on the lips, then smiled and nodded. "I do."

Damon reached for Elena's hand and squeezed it softly. These moments, with his family, had become something he valued above almost everything else. Damon would make sure he would be there for moments like this with his children. He knew things would be different for him. That didn't mean there weren't brief moments where he worried, but those moments of concern only reminded him that he was already different from his father. He worried, he cared, and he loved. He loved Elena. He loved their unborn child, and he loved the life he was living now.

His book, "Why Pleasing Your Woman In Bed Should Be Your Top Priority," had been on the number one best sellers list for months. Damon knew the majority of sales were from women buying the books for their husbands or boyfriends, but it was money. He'd followed that up with another book, "Breaking Family Cycles." That book was slower moving off the shelf, but Damon was okay with that. That one was more personal, and had been extremely cathartic. Now he was working on writing his first horror novel, and continuing to do his radio show. Life had never been better.

* * *

Two weeks later, Elena looked at the calendar and sighed as she marked off her due date with a red pen at the end of the day. The last two weeks she'd been uncomfortable sleeping, uncomfortable walking, and uncomfortable doing just about everything. Work had occupied her for most of the pregnancy, but since she'd started maternity leave four weeks ago, she was left with some time to occupy.

Fortunately, Damon was home working on his novel except for Fridays, when he went into the radio station. They were making the most of every opportunity to spend as much quality time together as possible because Caroline had been hounding her about making every minute count. They went out for dinner together, cooked, baked, and hung out, but she was ready for the baby to come. She heard Damon walk up behind her, felt him put his arm around what he could of her waist, and trembled as his lips traced the shell of her ear.

"It's been forty weeks," she told him with a sigh.

"Mm-hmm," Damon mumbled.

"I haven't even had a contraction," Elena said to him.

"So we'll just keep trying to move things along," Damon told her easily.

Elena rolled her eyes but smiled and turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, only taking a moment to glance down and see her baby bump between the two of them.

"Come on," Damon said to her, ignoring her protests as he picked her off her feet carefully and moved them into the bedroom.

The next morning Elena woke up to an empty bed. Used to spending time with her husband at breakfast, and wondering where he was, Elena slipped into her silk robe, which no longer tied around her, and began walking towards the study when she heard a pop, and felt a rush of warm water between her legs. It took her a second to realize what had just happened.

"Damon!"

Damon was at her side within a second.

"My waters just broke," she told him.

"Are you sure?" he asked her, looking down.

"Uh-huh," she told him with a grin.

"I thought it only happened in the movies."

"Nope."

"So last night worked, huh?" Damon asked with a smirk.

"Mm-hmm." Elena said indulgently, not mentioning the fact that they'd been trying so frequently for the last few weeks, that it most likely was not _that_. It seemed more likely that the baby was simply ready now. Elena knew both of them were ready for this too.

"I'll call the hospital," he said to her.

* * *

Approximately sixteen hours later, Damon was holding his son, Samuel Joseph Salvatore in his arms. It had been a long labor which had required much endurance from both of them, but Elena believed it was all worth it. She'd cuddled and held the baby, but strangely seeing Damon hold their son moved her in ways she would never have guessed at. She didn't think she'd ever seen Damon as intense as he looked into his son's eyes.

Damon watched his son quietly and made a promise that this Salvatore male would grow up feeling good about himself. This Salvatore male would have a happy and productive relationship with his father, and this Salvatore male would never doubt his ability to give and receive love. They were big promises, but he would live his life trying to ensure that his son didn't have the hang ups about being a Salvatore male that he had had. He was on the right track. He knew that. Stefan would be a positive role model as well, and if Stefan and Caroline had a son, Damon would endeavor to be a positive role model for him too. Things were going to change in this family.

* * *

_A little over a year later_

Elena considered the afternoon a success. Damon's second horror novel "Vampire Nightmares," was selling like hotcakes, and the turnout to the book signing was bigger than either of them had anticipated. Finally, Damon was with REAL PR, and that was the way both Damon and Elena liked it. There were no rules about not dating clients, and Elena was only too happy to be a publicist to her husband.

Today Damon's mother was babysitting. Anita took advantage of these working occasions to spend time with her grandson, and Damon and Elena were making the most of the occasion to go out for a well-earned dinner this evening. Family life was exciting and rewarding. She'd never seen Damon happier than when he was playing with Sam, but they allowed plenty of time-out for each other too.

They were just in the process of packing up and getting ready to leave the book store when they overheard another couple bickering as they entered the store.

"I told you we were going to be late. Look he's packed up."

Elena recognized Matt and Georgia straight away.

"Elena," Matt said with surprise. "I didn't realize you were still representing Damon."

"Not just representing, Darling," Georgia corrected her now husband. "She married him."

Elena had seen Georgia twice since Damon's launch party years ago. Despite the woman's rather shallow interests, she was relatively easy to get along with. Elena never did, however, go to their wedding.

"Married?" repeated Matt.

"For almost two years now," Damon said, throwing an arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Congratulations," Matt said quietly.

"You're a lucky woman, Elena," Georgia said to her.

"I'm the one who's lucky," Damon told Georgia.

Georgia smiled a wide smile at the two of them, before she looked at Damon and held her book out. "Will you sign my copy of your book?"

"No problem."

Damon moved away to locate his pen and Georgia followed, leaving Matt and Elena standing there making awkward conversation. It felt like a lifetime since she'd seen her ex-fiancé at Damon's book tour launch, and it felt like an eternity ago that she had been filled with the sexual insecurity and self-doubt her relationship with Matt had left her with.

Her sex life with Damon was fun and full and satisfying, and her husband never failed to make her feel beautiful and amazing. Not to mention he was always focused on her pleasure – something Matt had never been. Last time she'd seen her ex-fiancé she'd felt inadequate. Now she understood that she had lacked sexual chemistry with Matt, and that Matt's own inadequacies had affected their sex life. He'd brought her as little sexual pleasure as she'd brought variation to their sex life.

"Ready to go?" Damon asked behind her, interrupting her thoughts.

Elena nodded, eagerly anticipating their night alone together. They said goodbye to the other couple, and walked out of the bookstore holding hands. Elena realized she was simply too happy where she was to feel any resentment towards her ex. Sometimes things just worked out for the best, and this time was one of them. Mixing business with pleasure had been her best decision yet.

* * *

A/N: I'm going to plead your forgiveness for any errors, because I haven't had more than three hours consecutive sleep for two weeks. Over 1400 reviews. Wow. You've all made this such a successful story for me. A big thanks to everyone who read and commented on this story. You've held my hand every step of this journey. Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed it.


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